Diversity
by Iymea
Summary: Melinda Gordon is just recovering from her encounter with the Shadows, how will she react when a teenage boy turns up in her store, dressed in torn clothing and covered in bruises? What is his connection with the spirit world? Rated T for later violence. (On temporary hiatus)
1. First Impressions

**So, I finally got around to doing my rewrite! It's all different and awesome and stuff... If you're new to this fiction, there's a few things about it you should probably know. The story is set after series 5 of 'Ghost Whisperer' and in a weird alternate timeline thingy within 'The Ultimate Enemy' of the whole 'Danny Phantom'-verse.**

**If you don't really have to have seen 'Ghost Whisperer' or 'Danny Phantom', I don't think, to enjoy this fiction. My amazing beta '**Windsurf**' had never even heard of 'Ghost Whisperer' and she loves it. Or so she says... *Suspicious eyes* ...**

**Okay, enough of the oddities... On with Diversity!**

**Disclaimer:** I own neither Danny Phantom or Ghost Whisperer yet the plot you see? Yeah, that's all me :)

**Chapter** 1: First Impressions

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><p>"So, what you're saying is that, you don't want anything to do with this guy... because he said you had nice hair?" Melinda asked, placing the antique clock she had just cleaned onto the counter. She looked up at her beautified friend.<p>

"Well, yeah! I want someone smart and funny. Dominic was neither of those things. The guy wasn't even good looking! I have no idea why you set me up with him." Delia slumped down onto one of the chairs that had been placed around the counter. "I put a lot of work in today and all he could come up with was I like your hair?" The woman shook her head, as though trying to dispel any lingering thoughts of her date. Melinda smiled.

"Point taken."

It had been a few months since Melinda's encounter with the Shadows (the negative parts of spirits left behind once they have crossed over) and everyone was still recovering. To Jim, it had been like losing his one true love, for Aiden, his mother and for Delia and Eli, they'd lost their closest friend. However no one was suffering more than Melinda. Although she didn't let on, the memories were tearing her apart.

The thought of being so vulnerable that something could completely take over her, was horrifying. She had endangered everyone she loved just by being who she was, for doing what she did. If Aiden hadn't led a whole army of Shinies against the Shadows... She shuddered to think. On various occasions since the incident, Melinda had thought of completely deserting her gift, ignoring the cries of help from various dead people. She didn't know them, they had nothing to do with her, helping them crossover just made her and her family more of a target.

She didn't even know where she was sending them.

She couldn't do it though. Every time she warmed herself up to the idea, another ghost with yet another sob story would come along, and she would melt. Jim had said that it was something to do with her being the most caring person he'd met, with one of the biggest hearts. To Melinda, it was just a curse.

Leaning back on the counter, Melinda moved her thoughts to the new donations she had coming in next week. An English businessman, living in central Grandview, had recently died and his girlfriend was giving up all his stuff. As long as "all his stuff" didn't come with an angry ghost, Melinda was happy.

As she was pondering, something in the sky caught her eye. That couldn't be right...

It looked like some kind of shooting star. Without much thought, Melinda walked over to the shop window to get a better look. Despite the clear blue sky and the fact that it was only two in the afternoon, a white flaming streak was moving through the blue like a rocket.

"Melinda?"

Melinda turned to see Delia giving her an odd look. Glancing back up at the sky, she saw that the white streak had gone. She sighed.

"Sorry, I thought I saw something... must have been an aeroplane..." she mumbled thoughtfully, taking her place back behind the counter. Delia continued to stare but it didn't take her long to shrug it off.

"So listen, I'm hosting a dinner, two weeks tomorrow, I wondered if you, Jim and Aiden would like to tag along." Delia got up and moved to lean on the front desk so that she was opposite to her friend.

"Ooh, give me a second." Ducking underneath the counter, Melinda pulled out her diary. She turned it to the right page. "That's the Wednesday?"

"Yes."

Melinda hesitated a second, examining the page in front of her. She then pulled out a pen and scribbled something down. "I'll check with Jim but that sounds great."

"Great! It's Ned's birthday and, as much as I know he will be dying to get out there and party with his friends, but I really think he needs a sensible, calm, mature meal with sensible, calm, mature people."

Melinda grinned, putting down her diary. She checked her watch. The store was closing early today, due to Aiden's parents evening. She'd better get some work done. Melinda reached down, yet again, and pulled out a large wooden box filled to the brim with antiques that should really have been shelved already.

"Do you want some help?" Delia asked, watching as Melinda pulled out an old china doll and placed it on the shelf behind her.

"If you wouldn't mind. There's a box downstairs, the one with the fragile stamp on it... would you mind bringing it up for me?"

"No problem." Melinda's eyes followed Delia until she was out of sight in the back room. She couldn't ask for a better best friend really. Delia was always willing to help out with anything and although she sometimes got a little pushy and overprotective, she always had everyone's best wishes at heart. It was nice.

Taking a breath, Melinda turned to the back shelf and began repositioning everything.

After a while, the sound of the front door opening, caught her attention. Turning back around, her eyes met those of a young boy. Melinda stifled a gasp.

The boy looked as though he could barely stand. The exhaustion in his face formed bags under his eyes and his black hair looked as though it hadn't been brushed in years.

Worse than all of this was the state of his body. Every single piece of clothing hanging off the boy's person was shredded in various places. The grey and red t-shirt that he was wearing looked as though it could once have been white, and his faded blue trousers had more holes in it than Melinda thought possible. His body was bruised and, in several places, bleeding. The kid looked as though he'd been in a fight to the death and had come so very close to losing.

The final, yet most concerning things, were his eyes. Never in her life had she ever seen such pain, such experience, such suffering concealed in such innocent blue pools of eyes. It was almost too much just to look at them.

It took all of Melinda's strength to hold strong and not demand to know if the kid was all right and what had happened to him.

"Hello, can I help you with anything?" the woman asked, her warm smile struggling to disguise her concern. It took the boy a while to answer.

"Hey... I was just wondering... Could you tell me, please... Where I am?"

Melinda blinked.

"You mean where are you, this building... or where are you, this town?"

"The town one would be a good guess." The boy reached up and scratched the back of his head awkwardly, as though he knew how odd his question sounded. Examining him closely, Melinda moved forward and placed her hands on the counter in front of her. She knew what she was looking for. The look that would tell her whether or not she was talking to a ghost. Of course, since the Shadows had gone, she hadn't been mixing them up, but this time, she wasn't so sure. It wasn't customary for a ghost to use the front door, but it wasn't impossible either.

"Grandview, New York."

The kid frowned, his dark hair falling into his eyes. "New York?"

"Yup." Melinda's smile grew a little. This teenager was unnaturally hard to read. So, in effect, he was the most intriguing thing she had seen in a while. That and she still couldn't make out whether he was dead or not. The boy paused, turning momentarily to glance back at the window. He then turned back to Melinda and gave her another unreadable look.

"Thanks... er... do you... know of any... hotels around here?" he asked, shuffling his feet slightly.

"Sure, there's one just down the road. 'Grandview Hotel', kinda hard to miss." Nodding her head in the direction of the cheap hotel, Melinda casually pulled out a lunch box from under the counter . She didn't bother telling him about the five star one across town, he didn't look like he could afford a hot meal, let alone a night in a luxury hotel. If she was being honest, she had to wonder if he had any money on him at all. She had pretty much decided at this point that she was dealing with a living, breathing, human being.

"Thanks..." the teen murmured, eyes distractedly fixed on the box in her hands. Pretending not to notice, Melinda removed the lid and started leafing through the contents. She paused before looking up at the kid.

"Anything else?" The shop owner raised an eyebrow.

"Uh... no." Looking a little puzzled, the kid looked Melinda over once more, then moved over to the exit. Melinda managed to hold herself strong for a few more seconds before she broke.

"Hey, kid," she called, grinning. The boy turned and as he did, he caught the tub that Melinda had just sent flying towards him. Recovering from his shock, the kid stared down at the contained sandwiches in his hands. Melinda could tell that this was most certainly not what the kid had expected but she had seen the hunger in his eyes when he first walked in. It wasn't much, but it would cure some of the ache.

"What...?" The boy continued to gaze at the food, obviously confused.

"Take them, you look like you need them more than me." Melinda winked encouragingly before making her way around the desk, to the kid. Taking one of the many cards in her pocket, she placed it lightly on top of the sandwich tub. "If you're ever in need of a free bed and some pretty decent food, just call." She stood there for a second longer as the kid looked up into her eyes. Melinda was yet again, taken aback by the amount of emotion contained within those blue orbs of his. She forced herself not to comment and just smiled again before moving back to her spot behind the counter.

"Er... Thanks..." the kid stammered, unsure of how to react. Making up his mind, he shook his head, blinked a few times and then continued on his way to the exit. Sneaking a last look at the shop owner, he left.

Melinda's eyes followed the boy as he slowly walked away, keeping his head low so that he didn't catch anyone else's attention. There was still something a little bit off about him that Melinda couldn't quite put her finger on.

"Hey, whatcha looking at?"

Melinda jumped as Delia came up behind her. She accidentally lost her lock on the kid and as she tried to find him again, she realised he was no where to be seen. Sighing, she turned to look at her friend.

"I'm not quite sure."

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><p><strong>Hey, so you first timers, what do ya think?<strong>

**Now that I (hopefully) have you ensnared in the first chapter, I think it's fair to warn you that Diversity is only the first in a long line of fictions following the same plot... it'll be like a series of books I guess. Danny continues to be the main character as he 'finds himself' after the loss of those closest to him. It's all very complicated but it'll come clearer as it goes along...**

**So, if you liked it, carry on to chapter 2! If you didn't... thanks anyway! :)**

**-Mea**


	2. A Thief in Grandview?

**So this is the version of chapter 2 which is going to stay... I think I am finally happy! ... Yay...**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything.

**Chapter 2:** A Thief in Grandview?**  
><strong>

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><p>PC Nathan Daniels loved his job. It was his dream occupation. The one job that had consumed his every thought growing up (well, besides girls that was... he was rather into those).<p>

On his first day, he was partnered up with this Harrison guy that had been in the job for about ten years. It was their job to investigate a claim that an old man had been murdered in his home. It was really exciting, granted the man turned out not to dead. Apparently, the guy had had a shaving accident and the only reason they couldn't wake him (or see him breathing) was that he had taken a very strong, prescribed sleeping draught. It was rather frightening when they came to check over a dead body and said body began to move. Daniels had thought that every day would be that exciting, after all, he'd trained so long for it.

So naturally, with such high expectations, Daniels hadn't been too happy when his Sargent put him to work on some _kid_ who'd stolen an _apple_. As exciting cases went, this was trailing at the bottom.

"Thank you, Mr Parker." The young officer snapped shut his mobile and looked resentfully back at the 'Criminal'. The boy was propped up against a wall a few metres away, arms folded and gazing blankly into the crowd of people that had gathered to watch. Daniels had no idea why they were there. It wasn't like there was anything interesting going on. Curiosity maybe? Then again, the kid's appearance did make him look a little dangerous. But Daniels was a police officer and police officers were invincible against danger, so he ignored it.

"Mr Parker has agreed not to press charges," he informed, putting on his best tough guy voice. In truth, he just wanted himself to seem much cooler than he actually did at this point.

"Does that mean I can go?" Not even a glance! Even when the kid was asking him a serious question, he couldn't be bothered to raise his eye level. Disrespectful much? Daniels' glare intensified for a moment before he looked down at his notepad.

It didn't take long before his expression melted into a confident smirk.

"I'm going to need your name and address." _This is gonna get interesting_ Daniels thought happily. It was obvious the kid was a run away. You could see it all over him; the dazed though alert expression; the unwashed battered clothing; the ruffled bed head and most apparent, the huge bags under his eyes that came from complete sleeplessness. What else could he be? The '_poor_' kid wouldn't be able to answer and Daniels would get to lock him away in the police station holding cells whilst looking up reports for a missing boy. If he found anything, he'd be a hero, if he didn't, well at least the kid would be being punished for dragging him out over an _apple_.

"Why?"

The officer blinked, breaking out of his thoughts. "What do you mean why?"

"Why do you want my name and address? I don't understand," the teen responded bluntly. Oh okay. This was a ploy. The kid wanted to buy himself some time. Knowing that no amount of time would help the urchin, Daniels decided to play along.

"Well, this little incident here has to go on your record. Mr Parker may not have pressed charges but that doesn't mean your going to get out of all of this lightly." Daniels tried to hide his amusement as the kid paused. The boy's eyes finally travelled up to the officer. He looked him up and down before going back to looking at his audience.

"How would you know? I'm guessing you've only been an officer for... what? A day? Maybe two?"

"Three actually!" Daniels fumed defensively. It didn't take him more than a few seconds to realise that he was being mocked. "Look, are you going to give me your details, or am I going to have to lock you up until you improve your attitude?" Maybe he wasn't being as patient as he should be but this child was infuriating! Again, said child paused. It got to the point that Daniels thought the boy wasn't going to answer at all. He only managed to get a step closer before the kid's hand dove into his shabby trouser pocket and presented the officer a business card.

"Mike Gordon, I'm staying with my aunt. I don't know the address."

Gawping, Daniels snatched the card and scanned it. Melinda Gordon, Same as it Never Was.

That was irritating. There was always the possibility that the card was a fake, but Daniels knew he was just wishful thinking.

"All right then _Mike. _I'm going to take you down to the station and then call this 'aunt' of yours. If her story matches yours, you're free to go. If it doesn't, we'll be keeping you in until we find out who you really are."

"Whatever."

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><p><em>So many emotions. So many feelings that threatened to tear her completely apart. Fear, responsibility, desperation, they attacked from all sides as she looked up to see collection of figures, strapped to a threatening silver tank. Somehow she knew. She knew that this tank was going to blow up at any second. She knew that if she didn't get there fast enough, they were all going to die.<em>

_Propelling herself forward into a sprint, she reached out a hand, though she knew she was too far away to reach them. Sweat dribbled down the nape of her neck as she raced, heart pounding, towards the doomed captives._

_It all seemed to happen in slow motion from then on in. Her foot caught on a piece of shrapnel from a nearby building. She fell forward, still reaching out to those she knew in that instant, she had failed. Her eyes met with those of the six attached to the tank. The terror she saw in those faces reflected on her own. She had time only to blink before the explosion blew her off her feet._

Melinda's eyes snapped open. She was breathing at such a rate, she feared that her lungs would explode. Looking down she painfully noted that she was drenched in her own sweat and was, unnervingly, clutching her chest. She knew instantly that she wasn't alone.

Turning her head slightly, she spotted the one causing the disturbance.

The ghost was stretched out across her window seat gazing out at the morning view beyond. Melinda recognised her immediately from the dream. It was the same black hair, the same black based clothing and more noticeably, the same dirt encrusted combat boots. Three guesses what colour they were.

"Who are you?" she asked, not unkindly. The girl turned to look at her, her violet eyes shining with something Melinda knew only as love and maybe a little snippet of concern. She shrugged and cocked her head slightly to the side.

"He needs you, go to him."

The woman's mind was instantly captured by an image of the boy from the previous day.

"The boy from the store? Where is he?" The young girl just smirked then, within an instant, she had gone. Just like that.

Melinda sighed then dragged herself out of bed. She had known the second she'd woken, Jim was long gone. She hadn't bothered telling him about her encounter yesterday. As much as it had played on her mind, she didn't think she was ready to talk about it with anyone just yet. It was like her own private little secret. She knew her reasoning didn't make any sense but she didn't care.

Glancing at the clock, which didn't hold back on blinking the numbers ten and thirty, she quickly pulled on her dressing gown and made her way to the stairs. She had wanted to be up before ten but obviously Jim had been too polite to wake her. She was soon greeted by the smell of omelets and within a matter of seconds she found herself in the kitchen watching her husband handle the frying pan with such ease.

Melinda had never really understood how she could love a person as much as she loved Jim. The bond they shared always seemed like it belonged more in fairy tales and fantasies. Having spent most of their lives together, there wasn't much the couple didn't know about each other. Melinda liked it that way. She instantly remembered the first time that she had told Jim that she could talk to ghosts. The way he believed her straight away, filled her with so much happiness and love, she didn't know where to put it all. She felt that same love whenever she laid eyes upon him. Her prince, her husband, her...

"Good morning," Jim greeted, jolting Melinda from her thoughts. He turned and looked at her, grinning like a child.

"How long have you known I was here?" she asked, a hint of a smile on her lips.

"Heard you coming down the stairs." They stood looking at each other for a while longer before Jim made his way towards her and enveloped her in a hug.

"I love you." Melinda whispered into his chest.

"I love you too." He hugged her tighter before pulling away slightly. "And I made omelettes."

"I know. I smelled them, thank you."

Before either of them could say any more, the light tinkling of Melinda's mobile drifted down the stairs.

"Do you have to answer that?" Jim murmured, making no move to let her go. Melinda smirked before giving him a shove.

"Yes. I'll be back. Keep that omelette warm!" She winked and raced upstairs so as not to completely miss the call. The mobile was located on her bedside table and as she looked she noticed that it was an unknown number. Now curious, the woman picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Is this Melinda Gordon?" Melinda frowned sitting down on the bed. She didn't recognise the voice.

"Yes, it is."

"Hello, Melinda, this is PC Daniels, I'm at the police station with a young boy here, says his name is Mike Gordon. Do you know him?"

Mike Gordon. It didn't sound familiar. The Gordon suggested a relative but as far as Melinda knew, there was no Mike in the whole of her family. Whoever this person was obviously knew her _and_ knew her number. Why would they be calling her?

Ooh...

Melinda was instantly transported back to her shop around two o'clock the previous day. The card with her name and number...

_"If you're ever in need of a free bed and some pretty decent food, just call."_

Obviously, the kid had gotten into trouble and taken advantage, which was okay with Melinda, but did this guy say he was in the police station?

"Melinda?"

"Oh yes, sorry, I had a moment there. Yes, Mike. He's my..." She paused, trying to think of a predictable lie, that way she might be lucky enough to synchronise with the lies of the kid. "... Nephew." That was predictable enough right? There was a long pause in which Melinda found she could barely breathe. Had she blown it?

"Your Nephew?" the man asked. There was something in his voice that confused her... disappointment?

"Yes... What happened?"

It took the officer a while to compose himself. It was almost as though he wished that Melinda hadn't known the kid. That seemed a little harsh.

"Young _Mike_ was caught shoplifting in the market place around nine this morning."

Shoplifting? That didn't seem very much like the nervous scrawny boy that had arrived in her shop yesterday.

"You can't be serious."

"I am very serious Mrs Gordon. You're lucky Mr Parker decided not to press charges."

"Mr Parker... Doesn't he sell apples?" Melinda asked, confused. Her eyes travelled down to the leaflet that advertised just about every stall in the Grandview market on her bedside table.

"Yes Madam."

She almost burst out laughing, and she had been worried she had offered her card to a mastermind criminal.

"Mike was arrested for stealing an apple?" She was trying very hard to keep the smile out of her voice but this was all so very surreal.

"Theft is a very serious crime Mrs Gordon, no matter what is being stolen," the man reproached, sounding very impatient. Melinda let her grin die. She couldn't blame the kid really, Parker was an awful man.

"Of course. I'm sorry."

"I'm sure. Anyway, I would like you to come down to the station and retrieve him. We'll need your details and everything but it should be over with fairly quickly."

Melinda didn't get the chance to answer before 'PC Daniels' hung up. What a lovely young man.

What in the world had she just agreed to? Glancing again at the clock beside her, she sighed. _I really hope Jim doesn't mind._

After a quick change, Melinda made her way downstairs.

"Hey, Jim?" Hesitantly walking into the kitchen, she looked over her husband once more. The man looked back at her, smile fading a little when he noticed how worried she looked.

"What's up?"

The woman paused, thinking about how best to phrase it.

"I was wondering... if you would mind... taking in a kid for a little while?"

"What do you mean?" Jim asked, confused. Melinda sighed and closed her eyes for a moment.

"I have... kind of... volunteered us to look after a boy for a period of time." She opened one eye, to read her husbands reaction.

"Okay? And you're concerned because...?"

"You mean you wouldn't mind having a complete stranger poking around the house twenty-four seven?" Melinda risked opening both eyes, wondering whether or not this was some sort of odd trick.

"Well... I could mind, if you wanted me to..." Jim mocked, leaning back on the front of the sink.

"No! No, of course not!" Overwhelmed with emotion, Melinda literally ran up to Jim and embraced him in an attack hug. Although Jim was a little taken aback, he quickly laughed it off and hugged her back.

"I'm taking it you wont be wanting this omelette?" The man gestured to a still steaming creamy splodge on one of their plates.

"No, sorry, as much as I appreciate it, I'm heading up to collect this kid." Melinda moved away into the hallway and retrieved her coat.

"Where exactly are you picking 'this kid' up?" Jim asked, suddenly suspicious as he followed his wife.

Melinda didn't answer, instead, she pulled her coat on and unlocked the door. Just as she pulled it open, she felt a hand on her arm.

"Melinda?"

"What?" Deciding to play innocent, she looked lovingly into her husband's eyes, as if that would get her out of any trouble she might have been in. Jim didn't fall for it though.

"Where are you collecting him from?" There was a long pause in which the two just looked at each other. Melinda broke first.

"From the police station." Despite the fact that she had caved, she wasn't prepared to lose. Instead of giving Jim sufficient time to react, she rushed out of the door and slammed it behind her.

_I am in so much trouble._

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><p>If there was one thing Danny hated more than anything else in the world, it was being in a cell. No matter what kind of cell it was (Not that he had been in that many) he couldn't stand it. No sunlight, no fresh air, and the thing they all seemed to have in common: No way out!<p>

He must have only been in this crumby 'Police Holding Cell' for about half an hour and it was already killing him. Why couldn't he just go intangible and fly out? CCTV. It was as though the universe completely hated him at this point. Not that he had the energy to really care. Danny sighed as he settled down on the stone hard bench. The cell was so small that, if he laid down on the floor horizontal to the bars and stretched his arms above his head, he would probably be able to touch both walls and he wasn't exactly the tallest person in the world.

If he was concerned in the slightest about stealing from the market stall, he was doing an incredible job of hiding it. Well, what could he say? He'd done it before. He hadn't been caught before but still.. The guy selling them was a complete jerk anyway. He'd yelled at a tot for getting too close to his precious apples, Danny hadn't really stood a chance. The challenge was fun though. The flickering of an amused smile made it's way onto the kids face. The colour 'Mr Parker' had turned when Danny walked away with the apple was something he wished he could have gotten a picture of.

If Danny had learned anything about being a run away, it was to get amusement wherever you can find it. Otherwise you'd pretty much go insane from all the depression around. Stealing was, as well as being essential for survival, rather fun at times.

He guessed that, not so long ago, the idea of shoplifting would have appalled him but a few days without food had completely knocked that out of him. He ate whatever he could get his hands on.

It wasn't until Danny found himself watching a small spider make its web in the corner of the room that he realised he was bored witless. He would have to remember to refrain from meeting with the police again. This was not an experience he wished to repeat.

He still couldn't get over the fact he had only made it to New York. It felt like he had been flying forever. The fact that he could alternatively have boarded a plane flight taking under three hours made the whole thing all the more frustrating. Maybe he was weaker than he thought. Images of the attack flashed through his head forcing him to wince. Why couldn't they just leave him alone? What made matters worse was, his body didn't seem to want to heal itself. He was still covered in the cuts and bruises inflicted upon him and he was pretty sure his arm was broken in several places. If he had learned anything by now it was that his body could heal in the space of a few minutes. Him not healing meant that something was wrong, very wrong. Maybe it was to do with the weapons...

Danny couldn't really bring himself to care. He just felt hollow. The accident, the attack, running away, it had destroyed him. He felt as though he had been shattered into a million pieces and been left to drift away in the wind. He had nothing left. Nothing to live for, yet the idea of giving up? It disgusted him. His family wouldn't have wanted that. Chin up and all of that crud. It was just so hard.

Bashing his head on the wall behind him, Danny stood up and started pacing. He despised pacing but it turned out to be the only thing he could find to focus on. Three steps this way, three steps that way. Not the most amusing thing he could think of.

The sound of the door in the far end of the room, broke Danny out of his movement. He turned slightly to see a certain PC Daniels advancing on his cell. Danny knew the guy didn't like him. It was obvious when he first pulled up in the police car outside of the market place where Mr Parker had marched him. The look on his face had told Danny that, to the officer, he was nothing more than scum. It didn't matter, he'd gotten used it. Apparently, empathy didn't exist for the runaways.

The man hesitated at the bars of Danny's cell, taking in the boy with a glare of resentment. Then after a few seconds, he pulled out a set of keys and unlocked the cell.

"Your aunt is here to collect you."

It had worked? Yes! Danny had been bluffing his way through when he gave the officer Melinda's card. It was the only thing he had been able to come up with. The whole 'She's my Aunt thing' had been the only thing he'd really had to consider. He needed to come up with something so predictable that Melinda could guess what he had said if she figured out what was going on. It looked like his gamble had paid off. Robotically, Danny nodded and moved to leave his cage-like cell. Just before he could leave however, the officer's arm shot out, blocking his exit.

"If I ever get called out to deal with you again, I'll make sure you get more than just a warning. Do you understand me?"

Danny looked up into the man's eyes, seeing only fury. Danny could tell that Melinda hadn't given Daniels the answers he wanted. If it were up to the officer, Danny was pretty sure he'd be spending much more than a half hour in a cell. The teen didn't really care, he'd be out of this town soon anyway, never to see PC Nathan Daniels or this stupid police station again.

"Yes, sir."

"Good." The man moved out of the way and led Danny out of the holding area. Melinda was stood right next to the exit, looking rather flustered and slightly irritated. So the conversation hadn't gone well on either side then. When she saw Danny, she seemed to brighten up a little bit and even sent him a warm smile, the same smile she'd given him yesterday. That was a nice change. Danny looked at the floor, not ready for her kindness just yet. He didn't get much time to prepare however before Daniels was propelling him forward. That wasn't fun.

"Hey, Mike, you ready to go home?" Melinda asked, trying to keep her voice light. Danny just nodded. She played the part of caring aunt almost too well. Glancing up one last time at the scowling Daniels, the kid followed the woman out.

For just a second, as they left, Danny relaxed. He allowed his eyes to fall on the blue sky. Fluffy white clouds floated lazily in it's depth and the sunlight seemed to coat everything in a golden glow. Even through his bleakest days Danny could look at the sky and it would give him something to hold onto. There was one upside to flying across the country: for a few hours, he was free. Completely free.

"Don't look back, follow me to the car." Melinda whispered over her shoulder. Danny blinked, having to literally force himself not to turn around. It only took him a few seconds to catch on. Daniels was most definitely the kind of guy to spy on people he was suspicious of. If they wanted to get out of this without trouble, they needed to be convincing. Keeping his head low, Danny made his way, behind this 'aunt', to a rather sleek looking red car. The walk seemed to take forever, knowing that his every move was being watched by someone who completely despised him.

When they eventually did reach the car, Melinda turned abruptly. If Danny hadn't been paying so much attention, he would have walked right into her.

"I promised that officer I'd keep an eye on you," the woman announced, completely out of the blue.

"Okay...?"

"I believe when I gave you that card, my exact words were: '_If you're ever in need of a free bed and some pretty decent food, just call' _A bed and food. That's all I offered, not a get out of jail free card. " There was something in her voice that Danny didn't quite understand. It sounded as though she was angry... but then, more than that, she sounded amused. Those two emotions didn't normally mix.

"I don't understand." Trying to read her, Danny looked up into her face. It was weird. It was like every part of her face held a strong level of irritation... apart from her eyes. They appeared to be... laughing at him...

"What I am trying to say is that you broke the rules and you used me." Melinda folded her arms and let her eyes examine the teen. This was starting to get a little uncomfortable.

"I'm... Sorry?" By this point, Danny was feeling very awkward. Melinda's 'anger' was starting to attract a few curious faces and that was really the last thing Danny needed. More attention.

"You should be. It's gonna take a lot to make this up to me." Was that the source of amusement? Because Danny was now indebted to her? Danny shook his head, trying to make sense of it all.

"Okay... What did you have in mind...?"

"I want you to let me look after you." Melinda clarified, her face melting into a warm smile.

"What?" Danny was incredulous. It was officially hopeless; he had no clue what was going on.

"I said, I want you to let me look after you. That way I'll be able to keep my promise to PC Daniels over there," She gestured to the police station, "And you wont have completely ignored my rules."

A bed and food. That's what she had offered. She wanted him to take them. But why? In his few days of being a runaway, Danny had never even gotten a smile from anyone. Why was some complete stranger wanting to share her home with him? He just didn't understand. Unless it was some sort of trap. The boy stared at Melinda for a time, trying to sense any menace that she may have been hiding. There was nothing. She just seemed like an overly caring and considerate woman. In normal circumstances, he'd probably go for it but right now, all he really felt like doing was flying as fast and far away from this small town as he could. He'd already drawn too much attention to himself and if Daniels went looking for a "Mike Gordon" on the records, his cover would be completely blown. He'd have to sort that out as soon as possible.

"That sounds great and everything... but I really have to be going... and I wouldn't want to trouble you..."

"You are aware you have a very ticked off police officer watching you through the police station window, waiting for us to split up so that he can come after you and pretend to be some kind of genius hero."

Yes. He was very aware of that but surely it wouldn't take him too long to go invisible and fly out of there. He still had his ghost powers, right? Yet, Melinda did have a point. If he ran away, there was a chance that Daniels may send out a few search parties. He wouldn't only be wanted in Amity Park any more, and if the government creeps decided to check police records, his identity wouldn't be so secret.

Did he really want to risk it?

"Fine! You win." Danny's hands flew up in surrender. It wasn't worth putting his life on the line for. He'd stay until everyone else went to sleep and then he'd get out of there. What could go wrong?

"Good." Melinda's grin returned ten-fold as she moved to the driver's side of the car and got in. Not really knowing what else to do, Danny clambered into the passenger seat. This really was a nice car.

Glancing back to the police station, Danny could just make out a scowling figure in the window. Ooh, that reminded him...

Danny took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He'd been practising this for ages. The boy peeked to make sure that Melinda wasn't watching him before focusing all his energy on his ghost half. After a while, he began to feel it: the cold and weakening sensation he always got when he performed the split. It seemed to ebb from his left to his right, taking with it the duplicate he was forming, until finally, _there! _Danny let his eyes open slightly as he took in the duplicate. It looked exactly like him, other than the fact that its clothing looked as fresh as the day he'd put them on. Before Melinda could spot the extra Danny, the kid willed his other self invisible before mentally relaying his orders.

_Overshadow Daniels and make sure Mike Gordon never existed._

The duplicate had set off before Danny could do anything else. He needed to get this over with quick, he could already feel his strength deteriorating.

Melinda started the car and they set off. No one said anything for a few minutes, which suited Danny just fine, he was working.

"So, do you have a name?" the woman asked, taking Danny by surprise and almost severing his focus.

"Er... Danny." The name came out of his mouth before he could really think about it. Being so concentrated on keeping up his split, it took him a while to realise that he'd given away his real name. Oh, that was great. How much more amateur could you get? Within another second, the duplicate returned, still invisible and melded back into Danny. The boy slumped slightly. Why did his powers suddenly have to be so draining? Melinda didn't seem to notice.

"Danny... what?"

Danny's brain struggled to work for a while which made it all the harder to concentrate enough to form an elegant lie.

"Er.." The kid looked about desperately in search for help. Just in that moment, they passed an over sized billboard.

_Astonishing results with just one wash!_

_Sterling Active_

_Well, ain't that sterling!_

"Sterling? … Yeah, that's right, Danny... Sterling. Danny Sterling." He was so glad Melinda wasn't looking at him at that point as he was aware of how wide his eyes were, and how tightly he was gripping onto the leather seating.

"Cool, well it's nice to meet you, _Danny Sterling._" She smiled again, still focusing on the road ahead.

A gust of breath left Danny's lungs as he realised she'd bought it. Danny Sterling. Yes, he could remember that. He was sure of it. Sterling.

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for your support, hope you like it! xx<strong>

**-Mea**


	3. Meet the Family

**Wow, I think I've got it all sorted. :) Here we have the new and improved Chapter 3, all for you! See you at the bottom!**

**Disclaimer: **Guess I'm saying this again *Sigh* I do not own Danny Phantom OR Ghost Whisperer!

**Chapter 3:** Meet the Family

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><p>"So, what do you think?" Melinda sat in the driver's seat of the car, beaming up at her beloved home. The car had stopped just seconds before, causing Danny to wake from his thoughts. The boy shook his head slightly and looked out of the window at the sight before him.<p>

"Woah, you live here?" Danny couldn't help his jaw from dropping to his knees as he looked over the house. It was incredible. The walls were painted a cheerful yellow colour, reflecting the sunlight and seeming to brighten the place up. The pillars that held up the roof of the porch were painted in the same hue and added to its beauty. The garden was huge and he was pretty sure he had never seen grass so green. It also happened to be littered with children's' toys. A small plastic red fire engine looked as though it had had a nasty collision with the tree, in the centre of the green. It was accompanied by a rather impressive blue tricycle.

At the far end of the garden was a swing set. The place looked more like some sort of play house than anything else.

"Yup, it's nothing much but it's what I like to call home." Melinda smiled appreciatively at the building and Danny could almost literally feel her love for it oozing out of her.

"'Nothing much'? You're joking? Mrs Gordon this... this is amazing." Okay, so maybe his emotions were a little out of check lately and if it were a normal day he wouldn't have reacted in such a way. It was just so different than what he was used to. He had lived his whole life in a city, populated with identical, run down buildings that were, in all honesty, nothing special. Granted, it couldn't be said his own house hadn't been unique, but it was certainly nothing like this. Melinda's house was artwork where as his... Well it wasn't.

"Why, thank you Danny, I appreciate it and, call me Melinda."

The boy glanced at her before nodding and looking back at the garden. "So I'm guessing you have a kid?"

"What was your first clue?" She joked, climbing out of the car as she did so. Danny didn't reply to her remark; he just took it as one of those rhetorical questions or whatever. Taking his time, he exited the car and closed the door carefully behind him. He then followed Melinda through the garden gate and to the front door. His eyes scanning around constantly, searching for anything that didn't feel right. He noticed his host looking at him from the corner of his eye. Weird.

Melinda opened the door and walked inside, placing her keys into the tray.

"Mommy!" The mother yelped in shock as a small something flew into her with such force, Danny thought she was going to fall over.

"Aiden, careful!" She laughed as she pried the boy's arms from around her waist then knelt down to kiss him on the fore-head.

It was too much. The sudden display of affection instantly sent Danny's mind spinning back to a time when he and his mother were that close. He knew that as he had gotten older, he hadn't spent as much time with her as he should have and the guilt and longing was so painful it often took his breath away. Danny's eyes dropped to the floor, trying hard to eradicate the memories swirling around in his head. Now wasn't the time.

It didn't take long for the kid to feel Melinda's eyes on him and he knew he should lift his head and brave looking straight at her. He couldn't. The fear of her seeing his pain outweighed his manners. It didn't take her long to break the awkward silence

"Aiden, this is Danny; he's going to be our guest for a while." The words tumbled from her mouth softly, carrying both a fond tone directed at her son and a more reassuring tone for the teen. Despite knowing this, Danny relaxed a little and looked across to the smaller kid.

The instant he looked into those innocent hazel eyes, he felt his body go rigid. He felt vulnerable, as though his very soul had been ripped open and exposed to the world, or more specifically, the small figure before him. Every thought, every feeling, every secret, laid out for the kid's pleasure. Not that he looked like he was taking much pleasure in any of it. The weirdest thing? Danny found himself unable to look away. There was something about those eyes...

"Melinda, Delia just called, asked if you wanted to..." the man stopped as he entered the hall and looked over the scene. The sudden entrance seemed to break the kid's spell and Danny let his eyes travel to, presumably, Melinda's husband. "...Am I interrupting something?"

Okay, that officially won the weird award. One minute Danny saw a tall, sandy haired man... the next he was looking at a insignificantly shorter black haired one. It was like... there were two completely different men stood before him, sharing the same body. Danny wondered if the guy was being overshadowed and that's why only Danny could see the changes... but that wouldn't work, because it normally only showed in the eyes... so there was something else going on. Realising he was staring, Danny lowered his eyes again. If no one else was noticing the change, then Danny would pretend he wasn't either.

"I.. don't really know." The woman blinked before turning to her husband and smiling. "This is Danny." She gestured to the teen. "Danny, this is my husband, Jim. He works as a doctor at the hospital."

The boy saluted in way of greeting before wrapping his arms around himself, feeling slightly out of place among the family.

"Hey." Jim nodded slightly. "This is the kid you were talking about earlier?"

"Yup." The man's eyes swept over the teen. Danny knew what he looked like, with his stupid ripped clothing and his windswept hair. He was very aware of the amount of cuts and bruises littering his body and he knew that he was covered in dirt, so Jim's initial look of shock, didn't come as much of a surprise to him. The next bit however, did.

"Well then, Danny, it's nice to meet you." Wow, okay. This family was way too caring. He knew that anyone else would have turned up their noses and demanded that he leave. Well... anyone that he'd met so far anyway. Was this family just the exception?

Suddenly, something clicked in his mind.

"You're a doctor." It wasn't a question, more of an accusation. Jim sent an inquisitive look at his wife, who just shrugged in response.

"Yes, I am." There was a long pause as Danny thought this through. Could he trust a doctor? He had always thought he could until the incident in the North Mercy hospital in Amity Park. Then again, that doctor wasn't really a doctor but a crazy shape-shifting ghost by the name of Bertrand... This guy seemed pretty trustworthy... even if he couldn't decide on what he looked like... Danny could feel the tension in the room as he realised that everyone was watching for his response. He hadn't answered in a while, maybe they thought he was gonna explode because of some nasty experience of some sort. It was almost amusing how fragile they were treating him.

"Cool." He'd work on the trust issue later, right now, he just wanted to get out of the stupid hallway.

"Thanks." Jim looked physically relieved and Danny could almost feel the anxiety in the room die. He may have to experiment with that some time. "Tell you what, why don't you go upstairs and take a hot bath and then I'll sort you out with some clothes?" Jim addressed Danny. The boy couldn't deny that a bath sounded like the most desirable thing in the world right then. He did however spend a considerable amount of time looking deep into Jim's face, searching for something, anything, that would warn him of any malice. After all, he wasn't about to just strip naked and bathe in some random creep's house before thinking it all out. However when his search brought up nothing, he sighed.

"Sounds good," he muttered, not dropping eye contact.

"Aiden, will you show Danny to the spare bedroom and the bathroom please?" Danny blinked in surprise, he had completely forgotten the kid was there, he had been so quiet through this whole exchange. Danny didn't even think it possible that kids Aiden's age _could_ stay quiet for that long.

"Sure!" The little boy's enthusiasm was back. Without giving Danny a chance to react, he grabbed out to reach the older boy's arm and literally dragged him up the flight of stairs onto the landing above. On a normal day, that wouldn't have hurt, however it was the fact that it was Danny's injured arm that had him struggling not to cry out. He would have to remember to stand to Aiden's other side in the future.

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><p>"Hang on a minute."<p>

Jim listened as he waited by the door of the spare bedroom. The shuffling sounds coming from it were enough to tell him that the teen was currently in the process of making himself decent.

The doctor, currently dressed in a grey sweatshirt and comfortable blue jeans, was holding his first aid kit tightly in his hand. From his short experience with the young boy, Jim had already guessed that getting the teen to trust in him enough to let him take care of his wounds wouldn't be particularly easy. The boy was guarded and very much reserved. It was understandable, judging by his injuries. Who in their right mind would do that to a child? He shuddered slightly then shook his head, trying to expel the thoughts from his mind.

Eventually the door opened to newly dressed Danny. Jim noted how much his clothes hung off the boy's lean frame. The black sweatpants were folded up about half a dozen times at the bottom and the string hanging from the waistband seemed a lot longer than usual. Despite how bad they looked, they were nothing compared to the light green t-shirt. It seriously looked as though Danny was wearing a tent. The bottom of the shirt came down to the centre of his thighs and the supposed short-sleeves were around his elbows. They'd have to look into getting him something else to wear... fast.

"Oh, hey Jim." The boy's eyes glistened with curiosity at his visitor. Jim smiled and nodded in greeting.

"Can I come in?" Danny cringed slightly before stepping back, allowing Jim to walk through.

"Sure, sorry."

Jim just directed one of his signature quirky grins at him before moving into the room and over to the bed. He didn't notice Danny's eyes locate the medical kit in his hands nor the way the boy seemed to retreat to the other side of the room.

"So, how was your bath?" the man asked. He turned to look at Danny. The boy's eyes seemed to lock on to his with a combination of weariness and hostility. He looked down to the kit in his hands. Turned out he was right about the trust issues. Deciding it was best to calm the kid down before he tried to reason with him, Jim placed his gear on the bed.

"Danny, I am a fully qualified doctor. I've done all of my exams, gone to medical school and everything connected to that." Okay, so he was bluffing his way through this, he didn't really know what else there was to do.

"I don't doubt you, sir," the boy replied stiffly, keeping close watch on the doctor.

"Good. Look, I know you don't know me... and I wont pretend that I know you or say that I've met people like you because it's not true. But despite that, I do care. I want you to be safe and I want to help you but you've got to let me do that."

Danny didn't reply.

"Okay, how about this, you let me have a look and patch you up, just this once, and I wont bug you about it again. If at any point you want me to stop, just tell me and I will drop whatever I am doing immediately." He had to admit, he was getting desperate. He knew that if he didn't treat the kid there and then, Danny might not make it through the week. The weakness he was already displaying was proof of the fact. He couldn't very well force the kid into getting it all checked out but he needed to do _something._

"How about this, you butt out and mind your own business." Jim blinked, stunned at the ferocity of Danny's voice. He hadn't expected that. Apparently, neither had Danny. The boy's eyes widened in shock and he staggered backwards slightly. "Whoa, Jim... I'm so sorry... I just..." He couldn't finish that sentence. It appeared that Danny was just as shaken, if not more so than the older male. If Jim didn't know better, he'd say Danny looked... scared.

"Don't worry about it." It took them both a few minutes to gain control of their thoughts. Jim found himself revisiting his questions about just what Danny had been through before Melinda found him. He didn't know much about psychology but he knew enough to realise that bad experiences could come out later on in the form of aggression. He just didn't know whether or not it was normal for such aggression to cause so much trauma its performer. Jim watched Danny as he went through some sort of mental struggle. Eventually, the teen sighed.

"If I yell, you'll drop it, right?" he asked slowly, fixing his gaze to a spot on the floor. Jim smiled, relived though slightly shocked. They'd hit a bump in the road but if this was going in the direction he hoped it was, Danny had been easier to convince than he had expected.

"Straight away," the doctor confirmed with a short nod. Danny paused for a long while before wincing.

"Let's get this over with."

* * *

><p>Danny couldn't remember the last time he had slept, and he couldn't deny, tiredness was certainly getting the better of him. Laying down in the most comfortable bed he had ever been in wasn't really helping matters. It had been a few hours since Jim had visited him and 'patched him up' and if he was honest, he felt a whole lot better. Well half of him did anyway, he still had no clue about the other half. His torso was wrapped completely in white bandages his arms had escaped the fate as none of the damage was serious enough to need it. They needed air, apparently.<p>

He couldn't deny that his treatment was painful. The fact that each and every wound needed to be cleaned with some sort of antiseptic wasn't great and although at no point had he made any groan or hiss of pain, although his face had stayed a mask for the duration of it, he had to say that it darn well hurt! Of course he had felt worse but thoughts like that didn't tend to occupy his mind in those kinds of situations.

Later on in the evening, Danny had joined the rest of the family for dinner. He hadn't really spoken much to anyone, answering only when he was asked a direct question. He was particularly grateful that no one had asked him about his life before Grandview. He wouldn't have answered any of them, but he couldn't say that they wouldn't just drag up unwanted memories.

Danny slowly turned onto his side, wincing as he fought to position himself comfortably.

He couldn't stay here any longer. Not if he didn't want to become attached to the place. He was a kid on the run, he couldn't very well stop at the first sign of warmth. He had too many people behind him for one, he couldn't put the family at risk just because his body wanted a rest. That wasn't right.

Another contributing factor to his departure was that, he didn't deserve this family, this love. Not after what he had done to his own. It was his fault he'd lost them, his fault they weren't here with him, his fault they would never be anywhere ever again. They were gone and he wasn't ever going to see them again. There was nothing he could do about it. Wiping his slightly dampened eyes, he glanced over at the clock. Eleven fifteen. Melinda would be in bed by now, wouldn't she? Danny had no clue what the sleeping habits of the woman's household was. If his parents were anything to go by, she should have been out a long time ago.

He made up his mind. If he was going to do it, why not now? Even if Melinda wasn't asleep, he was sure she wouldn't notice his absence, at least not until morning and by then, he'd be long gone.

Rising slowly and carefully from his bed, using solely his left hand, Danny shuffled over to the duffel bag he had carefully set up during the day, using only what Melinda had offered him. He had no desire to steal from these people, not after all their kindness towards him. Slowly and carefully, Danny took out some of the clothing he had stored and did a quick clothes switch, duly depositing his PJ bottoms into the faded blue bag and slipping said bag onto his back. He winced slightly as the bag made contact, but was soon over it and ready to go.

Moving over to the bed, Danny took special care in making it up, something he had never even dreamed of doing in the past. Glancing back across the room and making sure he'd left everything looking as it had when he'd first seen it, the halfa turned to the door and quietly turned its knob, letting it carefully slide open.

His heart stopped as he saw a figure blocking his way. Granted the figure was half his size and rather sleepy looking.

"Aiden?" he whispered, careful not to make unnecessary noise.

"Danny?" The little boy frowned, looking up at the older boy with a curious gaze. "Where are you going?"

Danny, still frozen to the spot in shock, blinked a few times, trying to let the question sink in. He knew he couldn't say he was running away, Aiden would probably just go running straight to Melinda.

"I... uh... I'm going for a walk." Well, fly was a more accurate term but this little guy didn't need to know that.

"Mommy says it's not safe to go walking out in the dark." he whispered back, matter-of-factly. Danny's cool blue eyes locked onto those of the child. Within an instant he had concocted a lie.

"She's right, it's not and you shouldn't do it but I am fourteen, I'm old enough to protect myself from anything bad. And anyway, it was your Mom's idea."

"It was?" The child's eyes widened slightly, not knowing whether or not to believe the older kid. Danny himself had to hold down a smirk, this wasn't going to be hard at all.

"Yeah, she said I should go for a walk and get to know the place, but it had to be in the dark because there are so many people around in the day time and I won't be able to get away if anything nasty happens 'cause all the people will be in the way." Meh, it had a few holes, but it would do for now. After all the kid was only five.

"...That makes sense." The kid looked thoughtful for a minute before smiling slightly and rubbing his eyes. "Enjoy your walk."

Danny nodded and watched as the sleepy child made his way back to his bedroom. He couldn't help but wonder why the kid was awake and walking about at all. Maybe he just couldn't sleep. That or he was forcing himself to stay awake for some reason. That's exactly what Danny was doing after all.

Taking a deep breath, he started again. He knew where he wanted to depart from and although it would be easy enough to just fly through the wall, he didn't really feel like phasing through anything. For one, it was pointless, he would just be using up valuable energy. Secondly, he was bored.

Making his way silently downstairs, he finally reached the front door. Danny's aim was to make this whole thing seem like your average teen runaway mission, meaning he was planning on slipping out, unnoticed in a way that any normal human would have. That way he wouldn't arouse too many unwanted questions.

So, being careful not to make too much sound, he leant down and pulled the keys out of the bowl. Then, making sure he wasn't being watched, he slipped the key into the lock and opened the door. Taking a soothing breath, he crept outside, taking the keys with him. Then, as his finishing part of the plan, he speedily re-locked the door from the outside before kneeling down and sliding the keys under the door.

This was it, he'd done it, he'd broken out of that wretched though wonderfully welcoming house and was now free, free to do anything he wanted, just so long as he wasn't caught in the process. Turning, the halfa began to examine his surroundings. The transformation was incredible. What Danny had first seen as a happy, carefree, beautiful garden had swiftly changed into what could only be described as a scene from a horror movie. The tree for instance. Previously, it had been what had defined the garden, a cheery monument if you like, standing out in the most attractive way. Now, the branches seemed to reach out, like lost souls looking for some sort of life to cling on to. The knot in the centre of its trunk looked suspiciously like a gnarled and rather disfigured face, the trunk around it twisting in such a way it made the face look all the more real.

Danny suppressed a shudder and calming his breathing, summoned two bright white beams of light. Anyone watching would have seen what looked like two rings, slide across the young boy's body, bathing him in a sort of eerie light. They would have also seen a sudden transformation. The boy's baggy grey jeans and grey tartan shirt, buttoned up to the centre of his chest, which happened to be wrapped with cloth, changed almost instantly into a rather battered looking skin tight jumpsuit. A black colour with white gloves and shoes accompanied by a white belt and a white collar and finally a white logo, a P within a D, the suit just couldn't help looking like something you'd see a comic book superhero wearing.

It was soon after his clothing changed that the final ring reached his head. As the light reached the kid's eyes, the cool blue turned fluorescent green. When it touched the night black hair, it left in its wake pure snowy white.

Happy to be back in his ghost form, the halfa glanced back at the looming house before leaping freely into the air and flying off into the night.

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><p>Melinda couldn't sleep. Something felt off: not right. The irritating thing was, she couldn't work out why she was feeling that way. Maybe it was because of the way the wind was howling against her window, or maybe it was the fact that the moonlight from outside was casting unsavoury shadows across the room. Taking a steadying breath, Melinda worked to push down the dark memories that were threatening to overwhelm her. She had to remember that the shadows had gone, disappeared, never to return. She had to move on and stop dwelling on the past. Something easier said than done.<p>

_Well, this is hopeless._ Deciding there was no point laying there in bed when it was clear she was getting no closer to sleep, Melinda pulled back the covers and climbed out of the double bed careful not to wake Jim. She silently padded over to the dressing table and collected the dressing gown. Taking care not to make too much noise, she slid the piece of clothing over her body and softly exited the room.

It was then she heard the voices coming from her son's bedroom. Frowning slightly, she made her way across the landing only to hesitate as she reached the child's door. She noted with slight distaste, that said door was currently ajar. It was only an inch but it was enough to tell her that someone had exited the room at some point in the night. Either that or her little boy'd had a visitor.

"So, I have to guess what that is, right?" Aiden's voice, although hushed, rang out clear in Melinda's ears. The little boy was currently staring inquisitively at someone the mother couldn't see through the gap.

"Yup, and if you guess right, you win." Melinda blinked in shock as she realised she knew that voice. As if, only to prove herself right, she slowly pushed open the door, a gasp catching in her throat. It was the ghost from that morning. The one that had given her that vision. The recognition in those violet eyes was enough to confirm the fact as both kids turned to look at her. A trace of a smile flickered onto the adolescent ghost's face as she took in the intruder.

Melinda noticed that the girl was holding a notebook. Drawn onto the pages was what looked like a floating bed sheet. It was obviously meant to be a ghost... well, the kind of ghosts you got at Halloween or the ones that sometimes appeared on the television. Why would a spirit take the time to show a little boy a completely degrading image of all they were meant to be? It didn't make any sense.

"Mommy!" Aiden squealed, looking rather guilty. He know he wasn't supposed to be awake at this time, but the pretty ghost girl had come to play with him and he hadn't really wanted to upset her.

"Aiden, what are you doing up?" A stern expression fell on her face as she looked at the squirming child. Before he could answer however, the ghost girl interrupted.

"Sorry, that's my fault, I accidentally woke your son up when I came in here and then asked him if he wanted to play. Aiden was too polite to refuse." The girl turned to Aiden and smiled brightly. She sure didn't _look_ sorry.

"Why are you here at all?" The mother asked, a little frustrated at the fact that this teen was disturbing her family.

"Ah, I dunno, boredom, loneliness," Her eyes met Melinda's, fixing her with a pointed stare. "... Danny..."

The woman blinked, unsure of what to make of this. Feeling a sudden pull to the spare room, she left the two children where they were and, no longer bothering about being quiet, pushed the door open.

She was back in Aiden's room in a matter of seconds.

"Where is he?" She demanded, worry breaking into her voice. If this ghost had done anything to him... The teen just smirked, a knowing look plastered on her face. It was Aiden who finally answered.

"Danny went out for a walk." Melinda looked into his eyes to see him staring at her innocently.

"When?"

"Ten minutes ago." The kid seemed upset. "He told me that you said he was allowed to go because he was a big boy and he could look after himself better in the dark and get used to the town."

"Did he now?" If Aiden had thought his mum had looked mad before, she looked a whole lot madder now. Not knowing what else to do, the five-year-old nodded. He hated it when his mum got angry.

Eyes glistening with a mixture of hurt, betrayal and downright anger, Melinda spun around and marched down the stairs, removing her dressing gown and replacing it with her coat. She didn't care if she was still in her pyjamas or not, nobody tricked her kid and got away with it. She found the key on the floor in front of the door. Grumbling to herself, the mother let herself out of the door, locking it behind her. She had a strong feeling she knew were the runaway was. Flying over to her car, she wasted no time in unlocking it and putting her keys into the ignition.

She was a woman on a mission, and she was going to get Danny back whether he liked it or not.

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><p><strong>Enjoy it? I did! Heheh, Danny made Melinda mad... this amuses me. ;) xx<strong>

**Until next time!**

**-Mea**


	4. Ghostly Encounters: Part One

**_Hey-hey! Long time no see! Yeah... sorry about that... We had editing problems and although this was finished quite a while ago, I couldn't send it till it was all sorted. It isn't completely sorted but I thought I'd left it long enough. So yeah, you better be thankful you're getting this now! Heh, just kidding, you don't have to be thankful but yah know, it would be nice._**

**_Word of warning, I don't particularly like this chapter, it's certainly not one of my best so bear with me on this one. The next will be better I promise!_**

**_This chapter was originally going to be a whole lot longer but I decided I liked the size I have been going for so I chopped it in half.. I think it works better this way though so yeah.. let me know!_**

**_Thanks to _**_TheMoonIsLowTonight-Funkyfish1996_**_.. (I think I got that right..) For reading through this chapter and giving me good feedback. I appreciate it :) x_**

**Disclaimer****:** I own nothing!

**Chapter 4:** Ghostly Encounters: Part One

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><p><em>Fire. Parading like a triumphant army, inflicting pain wherever it goes. There <strong>is<strong> pain. An awful lot of it. Tearing at his soul like a savage animal. They can't be gone, they just can't._

_The tears evaporate as soon as they form, courtesy of the heat. The boy, shaken and fragile, rises hastily from his spot on the floor, surrounded by the rubble of his once lovable hangout. His mind refuses to believe what it knows to be true. What he sees before him. Taking absolutely no care in where he treads, the boy makes his way to the centre of the site._

_His vision is stained red, whether it is just the fire or the feeling of death around him, he isn't quite sure and in all honesty, he doesn't care. He needs to find them, he needs to save them, it's his job, it's what he needs to do! Stumbling once or twice, he gets there, the place he last saw his family alive._

A single tear found it's way down Danny's face. He couldn't hold back the memories of that day, and he doubted he ever would be able to. It was too much for his mind to swallow. He had lost everything; everything that had ever meant anything to him. His friends, his family.. his life.

And it was all his fault.

Horrific images of what he had seen when he had found their death site flickered in and out of his head, hurting more with every visit. He wished they would go away; he wished he could just forget. Whatever it took to be rid of the ever growing pain in his heart.

The boy sniffed and wiped at his eyes. It was true, his 'escape plan' had completely exploded in his face. As it turned out he wasn't quite as healed as he thought he was. Getting only a mile or two from the house wasn't something he was proud of. Crash landing for the second time in two days? Well that was just humiliating, and something he didn't plan on sharing with anyone.

Not that he had anyone to share it with.

He took a steadying breath. He needed to get a grip on himself. If he cried like this every time his memories decided to pop in and say hello then he might as well carry around a bucket; 'save the tears from staining the floor' as his Dad used to say. If past experiences had taught him anything it was to just keep on going.

Apparently if you smile for long enough, you actually become happy.

A bitter laugh escaped the boy. As if he had anything to smile about in the first place. Besides, he didn't really fancy looking like an idiot, sat on a log in the middle of a forest grinning to himself just seconds after sobbing. Granted, no one would be watching but, better safe then sorry, right?

It wouldn't have been exaggerating to say he had no idea where he was. He hadn't really been surveying his surroundings while in flight. It was definitely something he regretted, but it was something he couldn't change. Glaring up at the stars as though they were to blame for his onslaught of bad luck, the boy wrapped his arms around his throbbing chest. It seemed his injuries were irritatingly more painful in his ghost form. What made it worse was that the treatment and bandages he had received in human form hadn't transferred to his more ghostly one. He didn't really know what he had expected but he definitely hadn't counted on the amount of physical pain he was in. Wasn't his ghost half supposed to heal faster? Deciding not to dwell on it, he let his gaze fall back to the floor.

The clearing in which he was now sat was surprisingly beautiful. The glow emitting from his body effectively lit up the scene, preventing the darkness from swallowing it whole. Granted, if you looked further into the wood, the shadows cast by said glow could have been interpreted as spooky, but Danny was familiar enough with the dark to see it's true glamour.

To his left, a barrage of trees, each a deep, soft brown, guarded a series of rabbit warrens. To his right, a nest hosting four yet to hatch eggs sat upon the thin branches of a lighter barked and overall more welcoming tree. The first time Danny had landed he hadn't hesitated in inspecting his surrounding. He was fully aware that he was currently surrounded by more breeds of tree than he had previously known existed.

Danny could swear that if he listened close enough, he could hear the cry of a coyote. Did New York even _have _coyotes? All around him, even the soiled floor he was stood on, seemed to be crawling with life.

So of course he shouldn't have been surprised by a shuffling sound, just ten metres behind him.

The young halfa jumped and flew from his seat. He landed awkwardly before spinning on the spot and pulling his arms up, falling into an instinctive defensive stance. What he saw took him completely by surprise.

Danny narrowed his eyes. If his heart had been beating at this point, it would have been racing a marathon. What was she doing here? He slowly took in the oversized coat, the tangled brown bed-head and the worn, though startled eyes. It looked as though she had seconds ago risen from her bed.

_Melinda._

It was obvious she was looking for him. Well, the human him anyway. From the look on her face, the ghost him was something she hadn't been expecting.

The two stared at each other for quite a long while, neither of them knowing what to say. Realising he was still in his defence stance, Danny blushed, instantly dropping his arms and straightening up. At this, Melinda also seemed to relax, even if only slightly.

In all honesty, the glowing light that had led her to this spot in the first place, wasn't what she had originally thought of as ghostly. She thought it might have been a flash-light or something of similar origin. Never had she expected it to be coming from a spirit.

The woman had seen a lot of things, but this was definitely new to her.

The instant she set eyes on the boy, she realised how truly different he looked. The white of his hair alone was something to behold; never in her life had Melinda seen such a pure white, in fact, she had never thought it possible. It made freshly fallen snow look like something dragged out of the garbage. Then there was his eyes. The awed woman couldn't refrain a small gasp from breaking out. There were.. _glowing_.. literally. Melinda had to blink a few times to make sure she wasn't imagining it. Surely it was a trick of light. Eyes just didn't glow. What made them all the more powerful was the vibrant green that coloured them. It was such a deep, rich looking green; it looked like the kind of nuclear liquid you could often find on the television or in a movie theatre: it just wasn't natural.

Finally, her inspection ended on the black and white jumpsuit that in all honestly, looked like a badly beaten banana. Not in colour of course, but in the amount of bruises it had. Was it even possible for clothing to be bruised?

Then again, it was a ghost she was thinking about.

Sticking her hands into her coat pockets, the woman found her voice.

"Hello, you couldn't tell me if you've seen a teenage boy around, could you?"

Danny blinked, in shock, unable to answer the question. It was almost as if this woman was _used_ to meeting ghosts in creepy forests in the middle of the night.

"Pretty average looking, black hair, blue eyes, fairly short," The lack of emotion in her voice was shocking to Melinda. Granted, she was tired and she was currently lacking the patience needed to converse with a ghost; but even then, after almost ten solid minutes of telling her self she was angry she hadn't expected herself to come off so robotic.

Danny's thoughts however, were not on the woman's tone, but more her actual words. It was all the teen could do not to call out in protest. He wasn't short, he was just a little on the small side! Thankfully though, before he could say anything, Melinda continued. "It's just that, well, he kind of ran away and I think he came past here."

"Er... No, no I haven't sorry." Well, what else was he supposed to say? That he was right there. Sure because he was _that_ stupid.

Melinda sighed. She had thought as much. Even if the kid had seen him, he probably wouldn't have helped her, that didn't seem to be the way ghosts liked to roll.

"Okay.. well.. thanks anyway." She turned to leave. Why wasn't she interested in helping this ghost move on? She didn't have the energy. All the enthusiasm she had built up in her pursuit of Danny had been washed away the moment she realised she had sensed the ghost instead of him. She had no idea where the boy could be and although she found it rather depressing, she couldn't help but get the feeling that maybe she wasn't supposed to have taken on the kid in the first place. It wasn't like he had ever really wanted to stay with her. Why should she waste her energy trying to get him back. Unless some sort of miracle happened and he just popped up out of nowhere waving at her like a lunatic, she doubted she'd find him anyway.

Danny watched as the woman took a few steps further away and frowned slightly. Was she really this interested in his welfare? The thought struck up a warm feeling in his chest. It was quickly doused however by a different, more disturbing thought. Maybe she was some sort of psychopath that liked to pray on children. Okay, so it wasn't his smartest thought but it was certainly possible.

"Hey, wait!" He couldn't stop himself, he had to know. The woman turned back to him, a weary expression on her face.

"What do you want with him?" Danny cocked his head in honest curiosity. She couldn't hurt him whilst he was in this form, what harm could asking do? Melinda however was in a state of shock. Since when had a ghost taken any interest in her or her life? Sure they had questioned what she was doing and had even tried to stop her doing it, but that was always stuff to do with them and their lives, not her own.

"What makes you think he's not my son?" she asked almost accusingly. The boy however just narrowed his eyes in a 'I'm not stupid' kind of way. It didn't take long for the woman to shrug it off. For all she knew this could be one of those irritating 'all knowing' ghosts. "I guess I want him to be safe. I'm a mother, I have a natural protective side."

"No.. That's not it; there's something else..." Melinda winced from the heat of the ghost kid's eyes searching her face. It was like he wanted to get into her head. Knowing all too well what having someone invading your mind felt like, Melinda fought to suppress a shudder. Was it possible the boy was reading her thoughts?

No, no that couldn't be it. He wouldn't have been asking if he was. Taking a breath, she turned to him.

"You want my honest answer?" She asked firmly but not unkindly. Danny just nodded, a thoughtful expression still painting his face. Sighing, the woman removed her hands from her pockets and folded them across her chest."I feel like it's right. Having him with me feels like it is meant to happen, like he belongs there. It's like.. I dunno, we're linked somehow."

_Yup, she's crazy._

The ghost boy looked away, imitating her sigh. Yes, it was true, she had answered his question. Yes, it was true, it was an awfully creepy answer. The one thing that had Danny confused was the fact that he almost knew what she was talking about.

He couldn't deny the fact that, from the moment he had met her, he had felt an almost eerie attraction to her. As much as he hated it, he felt the connection too. Not that he was about to share this with the loopy lady. No. If he ever did see her again, he couldn't let on that he knew anything about this conversation. It would bring up way too many questions.

"Cool." he murmured, not really knowing how else to answer. Melinda frowned a little. This was certainly odd ghost behaviour. She didn't know why, but she suddenly had a strong desire to know about this glowing ghost boy. Dropping her arms once more, she moved a step closer to him making an unsuccessful attempt at looking him straight in the eye.

"What's your name?" she asked, trying her best at being polite. Danny looked up at her.

"The name's Phantom." He decided upon his answer almost instantly. He knew he couldn't tell her he was called Danny, that would be too odd. Not only would it confuse him, he didn't want to strike up any unwanted connections between his two halves. He didn't believe for a second she'd join the dots even given that clue, but he knew better than to risk it. Besides, not only was Phantom a part of his ghost identity, it sounded pretty cool on it's own. A flicker of amusement danced on Melinda's face.

"Phantom?" Wasn't that just another word for ghost? Deciding not to question it, she just nodded. "Fun."

An awkward silence seemed to consume the forest, both figures taking their time in examining the other. Melinda couldn't help but notice something about the boy. The familiarity of him. She was sure she had never seen him before but at the same time she felt as though she knew him. She knew that guarded expression in his eyes. She knew the awkward way he stood. His voice also sounded ever so slightly familiar.

Danny's train of thought was more on the fact he actually knew _nothing_ about this woman. Sure he knew where she lived and he had met her family. He also knew she owned her own antiques store but apart from that... nothing. He wondered what it was about her that made her seem so relaxed around ghosts. Most people he ran into normally screamed and ran in the opposite direction. This was a change. Whether it was a good one or a bad one he hadn't quite decided.

"So, what are you doing out here?" Melinda asked finally, again the first to break them out of the silence. The young ghost stared at her a while longer, pondering whether or not to answer. He didn't know why, but he wanted to trust the woman. Maybe the kindness she had shown him was a contributing factor. However, despite his yearning, something was pulling him back. This was the same woman who had forced him into her home, who had taken away his short-lived freedom and dragged him into a day of confinement.

Yet it was he who had shut himself in the tiny spare bedroom most of said day...

Narrowing his eyes slightly, he tried to shake away his conflicting feelings. He knew he wanted to trust the woman and so, he decided to do just that. Sighing, the boy moved back over to his seat, taking his eyes from the shop owner. He took care in sitting down, feeling the pain in his chest throb with his movements. He glanced back up at Melinda, who was currently hugging herself, probably to escape from the cold, before gazing up at the stars in the sky.

"Thinking." he murmured simply. Melinda nodded as though she knew what he meant as she too, allowed her eyes to drift upwards. She couldn't deny the fact that the sky looked awe-inspiring tonight, the moon itself had taken refuge behind a cloud, preventing it's glow from reaching the two observers. The stars were few, due to the fact they were currently close to the town centre of Grandview, yet despite their numbers, they didn't refrain from twinkling brightly, like tiny lights in the distance. A small appreciative smile flickered across the woman's face.

"You sure know how to think in style." she joked lightly, advancing on the teen. Danny didn't seem to notice as he kept his eyes on the pin-pricks of light.

For Danny, stars were so much more than just balls of gas. They were hope. For as long as he could see the stars, the boy knew there was a way through. He knew from experience how wonderful it was to drift in the sky, sharing it's sweet embrace with only the twinkling lights above him. Even now, in as much pain as he was, the boy couldn't help but smile at the thought of being up there. Of being free.

"Come here often?"

Danny almost leapt off the log for the second time as the closeness of her voice took him by surprise. His eyes shot to the spot beside him as he realised the shop owner had sat down. Man, he had to pay more attention to these things. He slowly examined her relaxed posture and noticed once again how cold she looked. Her arms were still wrapped around herself, her coat obviously not doing it's job and he was sure he could see her breath as it left her body. Feeling slightly guilty, the boy lowered his gaze.

"No, not really. I guess you could say I'm new to the place." Danny sighed, unconsciously rubbing his chest. If Melinda noticed, she didn't mention it.

"Really?" The woman frowned slightly. She knew it wasn't normal for a ghost to hang around a random spot without there being a reason for it. She hadn't heard of anyone dying here recently and there certainly wasn't anyone around for him to be following. Glancing around the clearing as though to confirm this fact, the woman gripped her coat a little tighter. Whatever the reason for the kid being there, it couldn't be good.

"Yeah, really." Danny muttered honestly not getting her confusion. Melinda glanced at him, wanting to know so much more about this 'Phantom' ghost. However before she could ask anything more, a loud ringing noise sounded from her coat pocket. Danny met her eye in an instant, rather resembling a startled deer. The woman allowed her eyes to linger on the boy's before her hand dived into her pocket and pulled out her phone. "Jim..." she whispered as she examined the name that had flashed up on the screen. She didn't get a chance to answer it as she caught sight of the boy staggering away from her.

As though realising what he was doing, Danny locked eyes with Melinda. The only thought going through his head was that he had stayed too long. He could already feel his ghost half slipping away from him yet somehow in the woman's presence, he had successfully ignored the fact. If he didn't get out of there now, he would end up unintentionally transforming in front of her. Suddenly, the once beautiful circle of trees surrounding him seemed to transform into the looming bars of some sort of sick enclosure. He felt _caged_;_ trapped_ in this warped wood with a woman only seconds away from learning his secret.

"I.. uh.. I have to go..." he murmured almost breathlessly, he wouldn't be surprised if she hadn't even heard him. Before she could say anything back, he coated himself with invisibility and made a break for the nearest gap in trees.

Melinda sighed, all too used to having ghosts disappear on her like that. Allowing her gaze to fall back on the still ringing phone, she finally pressed the answer button.

"..."

"Hey, sorry, I'm heading back now." Gently tapping 'end call', the woman glanced back to the stars in the sky, her thoughts instantly turning to the still lost boy.

"I hope you're okay..."

* * *

><p>Danny gasped as he felt his body fall back into it's human form. The familiar white rings held no mercy as they stripped away his more ghostly one, consequently stripping away his warmth. Cold air blasted him from all sides causing a violent shudder to vibrate his whole being. The young halfa tugged on the sleeves of his thin tartan shirt as though that action alone would prevent him any more weather induced discomfort and made his way forward into the deserted streets of Grandview.<p>

How he had found his way to the town centre was beyond the boy. The only thing that had been on his mind was the urge to get away from Melinda. She couldn't know who he was. If she told anyone, that would mean the end for the boy. If _they_ knew he was here...

Danny shuddered from the thought. But there was another reason for his reluctance to expose himself to the shop owner. He didn't want to admit it, but he'd almost grown_ fond _of the woman. She seemed to really care about him, it was a feeling he had convinced himself he would never experience again. Yet there he was, fearing rejection from a woman he believed to be slightly ill in the head. The thought of her seeing him for what he was... what if she hated him? What if she looked at him in disgust? He didn't think he could bear that.

Shaking the unwanted thoughts from his head, the young halfa cast his eyes across the street.

It couldn't be denied that the town of Grandview was something to look at. Even cast in shadows, the streets gave off a happy welcome feel. The dimly lit stores provided the street with colour, the paint coating their walls almost glowing. A few potted trees scattered the pavement. Everything looked so orderly, so quaint. Danny felt a pang in his heart as his thoughts fell back to his own, more densely populated home-town.

A small shiver claimed his body as he took a few more steps forward. He had no clue where he was going and, in all honesty, he didn't care. Something would turn up, whether he wanted it too or not. That's how he ended up with Melinda. He'd already lasted one night alone in the streets of Grandview, what harm would another do?

If Danny had listened closely, he would have heard the sound of an engine roaring to life. He would have heard the sound of tyres against tarmac and maybe it would have dawned on him that the vehicle causing this disturbance to the otherwise silent night, was racing towards him at speeds that well exceeded the speed limits. However, as things turned out, Danny remained unaware of the oversized white van until it pulled up in front of him, effectively cutting short his walk.

Before the boy could react, two rather brutish looking men jumped from the van's back doors and grabbed him, an arm each, before dragging him back into the same vehicle. It was all Danny could do to yelp as he was violently shoved onto what seemed to be a rather hard, metal bench. Just as he began to get his bearings, the van doors slammed shut, killing the light that had been allowed to leak in

Feeling pretty darn scared and still in complete shock, the young halfa found that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't move. His whole body seemed frozen in a rigid and uncomfortable position, his back was pressed against the wall of the van, his knees were pressed together on the edge of his chair and his arms were firmly by his side. He didn't know to whom he owed the pleasure of the obviously planned 'pick up' but he knew the person didn't mean him well. The fact was confirmed somewhat by the voice that sounded from the other side of the van.

"Hello, Daniel."

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><p><strong><em>So... what do you think? It's not one of my favourites but there it is. Just a word of warning, I will most probably further edit this chapter. I wont change any of the main points so don't worry, you won't have to read it, I just think it could sound a whole lot better. <em>**

**_Oh! Just in case anyone is interested, it was my birthday yesterday _**_(8th September, 2011)**! Yup, I am now officially 16.. I still don't really know how to feel about that but I'm sure I'll work it out...**_

_**So yeah... review replies!**_

_**FunkyFish1996:**_ Or should I call you TheMoonIsLow... ah never mind, I'll stick with that :P. Thanks so much for your review and your support! I didn't mean to make you jealous! I promise! I am pretty awesome though... :P Hehe, I'm sure any vampire would go for that! ^^ Ah, good times :P

**_OwlheadAthena:_** Yay! I'm glad I pleased you :) As for Sam, yeah I don't think she'll ever lose that :P

**_Orihime-San: _**Heh, this is where pre-planning comes in handy you see ^^, thanks for you're advice, I'll see what I can do with it :) Sorry to have kept you waiting! Hope you liked it.

_**ThePurpleSuperCow:**_ Hehe, thank you! Seems 'Melinda's wrath' will have to be put on hold a little longer. I can promise you it wont be that way forever however. :)

_**Lolxxx:** _Heh thanks! I'm glad you're still liking it! I like 'mad' people too x.x! However, the 'madness' is just going to be delayed a little longer, so don't give up on me yet!

_**Vi-Violence:** _Okay, I admit this isn't the 'soon' you wanted, but I hope you liked it!

_**Jeanette9a:**_ Heh, I couldn't stop laughing when I read your review. My mum was looking at me as though I was a mad woman :S. Thanks for your comment and you're right, this is just the 'calm' before the storm. :)

_**Karyn Phantom:** _Yup he is. Not yet, but he is! Thanks for the review! :)

_**Konekoko:** _Heh, I don't know, maybe she did fly.. somehow.. ^x^ Thanks so much for the review, it made me laugh, glad you liked it :)

_**Raych:** _So yeah, not exactly 'soon' but I hope it's alright for you! :) Thanks for your review ^x^

**_Phew, is that it? Am I done? Awesome! :) Thanks to everyone that has supported this fiction. YOU MAKE ME FEEL SO LOVED! *Sniff*_**

**_Um.. so yeah.. I can't promise when part 2 will be out but I hope it's sooner rather than later... Maybe if I got enough reviews... *hint hint* :P_**

**_I think that's all I have to say. Oh, just want to mention _**Windsurf _**because I did send her this chapter to beta but I got impatient along the way and I now feel pretty bad for not waiting a little longer. Sorry again!**_

_**Okay.. until next time! :)**_

_**Iymea xxx**_


	5. Ghostly Encounters: Part Two

**Hello, it's me again. Just wanted to let you know, I think I have pretty much managed to get rid of any errors on this chapter. If you see anything wrong with it, just let me know :) xx Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: **I own neither.

**Chapter 5:** Ghostly Encounters: Part Two

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><p>"Hello, Daniel."<p>

Danny's heart froze. He didn't need the burning pink light that flared up from a black gloved hand to know exactly who he was facing. With black hair slicked back into horns on the top of his head and eyes burning a deep red, it wouldn't be hard to mistake the only other half-ghost in existence for the devil himself.

"Plasmius." As the name escaped Danny's lips, he realised just how much danger he was in. It was the same realisation that seemed to kick-start his survival instincts as he threw himself from his seat and made a break for the van doors, not caring that they were firmly shut. Yet it seemed his poor attempt had been expected as one of the two men that had dragged him into the death-trap, grabbed his arms and yanked them behind his back, causing him to gasp in pain.

"Oh, I wouldn't do that if I were you. I forgot to tell you last time we met, I recently invested in two new employees. I guess you could call them 'body guards' but since they do so much more than that... I'd rather call them 'henchmen'. So much more fitting don't you agree?"

Fighting not to show his fear induced by the man's revelation, Danny pulled with all his might against the hands restraining him, gritting his teeth against the fresh wave of agony rampaging through his body. Even when, in his desperation, he turned himself intangible, he found himself unable to break out of the hold. Plasmius smirked as he watched the boy's useless struggles.

"I guess it's the fact that they are ghosts that makes them all the more appealing to me. It seems they are more resourceful than our everyday humans. That and they are definitely a whole lot stronger..." He gave a small nod to the 'henchman' holding Danny. Without a word the ghost tightened his grip on the boy and pulled his arms further up his back, consequently causing the young halfa to cry out. "Now what happens next completely depends on you. You can sit down and we can talk like civilised people, or I can talk and Clive here can make sure you stay and listen. Either way, you're going to be in here a little while longer, little badger."

"I never counted you as being civilised, fruit loop." Danny muttered breathlessly only to hiss in pain as 'Clive' tugged on his arms once more.

"Do we have an agreement?" The older halfa's voice was laced with a hint of irritation. If Danny hadn't been in such a painful position, he might have resisted a little longer. However, as things were, the boy found himself unable to do anything but nod. Clive instantly let go, though Danny could still feel his cautious eyes on him as he regained control over his arms. Rolling his shoulders a few times in a feeble attempt to ease the pain, the young halfa moved back towards the seat he had left and slid down. If Plasmius had noticed the young boy rubbing his wrists in the same spot the ghost's hands had grasped, he did a brilliant job of hiding it.

"What do you want, Vlad?" Danny asked finally, not bothering to hide the distaste in his voice. The older halfa's lips curled up slightly, succeeding in sending a cold shiver down the boy's back.

"Isn't it obvious, my boy?" Plasmius raised an eyebrow tauntingly. "I want you." Just as Danny opened his mouth to speak, the man held up his hand, cutting the boy off before he got the chance. "But do not worry, I am not here to spirit you away into the night, as appealing as that sounds..." He seemed to muse with this idea before continuing. "I simply wanted to check up on you. It's been so long."

"I was doing fine before you showed up." Danny grumbled, glaring at his arch-enemy.

"Ah, you see, that's not what it looked like to me." The man smirked knowingly. "I'm sure even _Melinda _would say you were doing a lot less than fine. I believe you locked yourself away in your room the entire day?"

Danny blinked in shock before his glare intensified. "You've been spying on me!"

"Spying is such an ugly word, I prefer, observing." Plasmius leered.

"Well I don't! What gives you the right to..." The older hybrid cut him off before he could finish.

"I have every right Daniel; I am after all, your legal guardian." Danny winced at hearing the man's words. The fact that they were true made them all the worse. He was right of course. It was in his parents will. Vlad could very well force him into submission, not only with his own physical strength, but with the law. Danny 'belonged' to the man and there was nothing he could do to change the fact. Yet the boy didn't feel ready to give in, he wasn't going to bow to anyone's will, he was his own person, he could control himself! Just before he completely riled himself up, Vlad continued. "Which of course brings us back to Melinda."

Danny felt as though he had just been dropped into a bucket of ice. He didn't want to talk about Melinda. He was already feeling guilty for leaving her the way he did. She looked so cold out there in the forest, and it was all because of him. However, not wanting to show his reluctance, he decided to play along.

"What about her?"

"Answer me something, dear boy." Plasmius paused as though to think out his question, his eyes never leaving his captive. "What were you thinking when you agreed to stay with those people?"

"What?" What was he _thinking_?

"Come on, Daniel, I know it's hard for you but try not to go all simple on me. I want to know why you spent your day shut away in a room in the house of several complete strangers. That's a little low don't you think? Even by your standards."

"Hey! I had a perfectly good reason for doing what I did!" the younger halfa cried out defensively.

"And that reason is?" Plasmuis raised an eyebrow, waiting for the boy to answer. However Danny found that he couldn't. He didn't really know what his reason was. Melinda seemed nice enough and she wasn't a threat, that's about as far as it went. "I don't mean to degrade your choices or anything, little badger, I am just worried. As I have told you before, I only wish for what is best for you."

"Oh and 'what's best for me' is staying with you?" Danny scoffed, staring at the man with distaste.

"Yes, Daniel. Think about it. I could give you everything! You would have a home. You would have someone who understands you and could teach you. Don't you see, I am all you need!"

_I think you need your head examined._

"You know what? I've thought about it. And the answer's still no! We have had this conversation so many times before Vlad, can we not do it again?" It was true the teen was bored with the topic. It was the same every time. Vlad would do something to get them alone together, then he'd spout his offer and when Danny declined, there would be a fight, varying in size. It was truly sleep-inducing.

"Tell me, why are you so set on defying me yet when it comes to a mere mother, you are fast to give up? I can't work it out."

"Maybe that's because you're a fruit loop and she isn't."

"Do not mess with me, boy. I am in no mood for your petty banter." Plasmius snapped, the energy in his hand flaring slightly. The boy wasn't fazed in the slightest.

"Well I'm in no mood for you, period, but you don't see me complaining!"

A low growl came from the older half-ghost as he raised the hand free from energy to his face and pinched the bridge of his nose. Danny knew from experience the man was annoyed and it might have made him smile if he weren't so worked up himself. He disliked Plasmius to an extent he had never thought possible. It wasn't that the boy feared him, nor was it that he never hesitated to throw around threats. He was a complete fruit loop! He was obsessed with things he could never even come close to obtaining. Danny and his mother primarily. Now that his mother was out of the picture, his obsession with the young halfa had seemed to double. It was ridiculous!

Danny's hands fisted as he recalled his last meeting with the older hybrid.

_Danny grunted as he made contact with the ground. Why couldn't those freaks just leave him alone? He'd just lost his family; he didn't need them screwing him up any further. Grinding his teeth, he brought up his shield, defending himself against a rather nasty looking pink beam. The boy cringed when he felt the pressure on his shield push him a little into the ground._

_They had gotten stronger._

_The barrage of attacks momentarily paused, giving the boy a chance to throw down his energy wall and make another dash for it. The tears that were still fresh in his eyes were lost behind him as he picked up speed, intending to out-run his pursuers._

_Amity Park, his home and life passed by him in a fuzzy haze. He couldn't bring himself to register it, even though he was fully aware this would be the last time he would ever see it. He didn't care. His home was where his family was and his family were no longer there. The town now meant nothing to him._

_So wrapped up in his desperate attempt to flee, Danny was unaware of the gun aimed at him until he received the blast from the machine in his back, causing him to spiral out of control mid-flight._

"_Ahh!" He cried out as another blast hit his side. The boy felt his vision swim as he slammed into a nearby building, dropping once again from the sky. He caught himself before he could hit the floor, but unable to continue his flight, he let himself softly land on pavement. A glance upwards told Danny all he needed to know as he brought up his shield like before. However, the boy was feeling the strain of his injuries and several shots at his shield were quick to inform him he was running out of energy as the green wall before him flickered in and out of existence. Despite the fact, there was nothing he could do._

_He was trapped._

_The boy gasped as he lost his grip on his powers, watching as his ecto-shield disappeared, leaving him completely open. His opponents didn't hesitate to take advantage of the situation._

_Never in his life had Danny felt such brutality as he was forced onto his back, his arms covering his face to protect it from the torture the rest of his body was being subjected to. Was this it? This was what everything had lead up to? Even as he knew it to be true the boy couldn't help but be bitter over it. After all he had done for stupid town, after all he had sacrificed, this was what he got? His family was dead and due to those freaks on over-priced flying bikes, he was soon to join them._

"_Need some help?" a familiar voice sounded to his left._

_Danny's eyes snapped open and he twisted his head to look at the person who had spoken, all the while biting his lip against the pain that was flooding his whole body._

"_Plasmius?" he gasped, not knowing what to make of the man's sudden appearance. Vlad smirked at him then raised his hand and easily formed a glowing pink dome around himself and the boy. Within a second he was at the young halfa's side, helping him raise from his degrading spot on the floor. Danny winced. His whole body ached from the merciless attacks it had been subjected to and moving did nothing to relieve the pain. Grimacing, the teen managed to get back to his feet and look more closely at his rescuer. The man looked the same as he always did. He wore the same skin-tight white suit and completely pointless billowing red cape as the boy had become accustomed to. His excessively pointed teeth glistened in the pink diluted sunlight as his face stretched into an amused smile._

"_Why are you helping me?" the teen murmured breathlessly staring at the floor beneath his feet. Vlad's smile widened slightly as he shrugged._

"_Am I not allowed to be of assistance to you every once in a while?" he asked innocently, although the cruel glint in his eyes told the boy otherwise. However Danny didn't have the energy or will to question it. Instead, he turned his eyes to outside the dome._

_They were surrounded. Everywhere he looked he could see them. It scared him to think that the only thing stopping them from getting to him was a pink shield held up by none other than his arch-enemy. So he tried not to think. He had to find away out, a way around them all. He turned his dull eyes back to his rescuer who, creepily enough, had yet to remove his own eyes from the boy._

"_What do you want?" Danny asked quietly, knowing there was a whole lot more to this than the man was letting on. Plasmius smirked at the boy's intuition before folding his arms across his chest and levitating a little off the floor._

"_I think we both know the answer to that one, Daniel."_

"_I can't do it." Danny didn't miss a beat as he spoke back to the man. It was true, he did know what the man wanted. Yet it was the one thing he couldn't give him. Plasmius blinked at the certainty in the boy's voice but was quick to shake it off._

"_Yes you can. It just takes one word." the man assured, matching his rival's tone._

"_No."_

"_Well then, let me see if I can't change your mind." With a short wave of his hand, Plasmius dropped the dome that was protecting the both of them from the attackers' weapons. The man then swiftly turned invisible/intangible watching calmly as said attackers advanced on the teen, and the boy in turn backed away._

_Danny was so scared, it was unbelievable. He had never been afraid of these losers before so why should now have been any different?_

_The truth was, they had gotten better. A lot better. Not only that, but Danny himself was so sick with grief, he couldn't think as straight as he needed to to put up even the weakest of fights. He was all but defenceless._

_The boy took several more steps back until he found himself pressed against the wall he had collided with not five minutes ago. His eyes darted about, trying to find somewhere, _anywhere _to run to get away from the weapons. They were everywhere! Every inch of ground and sky before him was occupied. There was no way forward_

Well then, I'll just have to go backwards, _the boy thought suddenly, almost gaining the enthusiasm needed to smirk. Casting one last look at the machinery he was faced with, Danny phased through the wall behind him. He was immediately hit with the smell of bacon as he flew through a rather chic looking kitchen. The boy gulped down his sudden flood of sorrow and phased through more rooms of the house until he reached the other side and escaped through it. He quickly coated himself with invisibility, knowing that if he was spotted a second time, there would be no other chance of escape._

_Flying up into the sky, the boy glanced at the back of the building he had just gone through. The losers were standing in a crowd, talking with each other, their expressions a mix of frustration, longing and a whole lot of determination. It was all the boy could do, not to break down where he floated with fear and despair. He had to get away._

_Setting his eyes on the horizon furthest from the machinery, the boy flew full speed towards the falling sun._

Danny would have liked to say that that had been it. That he had managed to fly away, to just get away from the idiots with guns and to have not laid eyes on Vlad once more. However he couldn't, and that just made it hurt all the more.

"_Ah, ah, ah, little badger. You're not getting away from all this that easily."_

"_What...? Ah!" A blast to his chest sent the semi-visible Danny hurtling towards the concrete floor. He hit the ground before he had a chance to right himself._

_The impact was sickening. A crater had formed in the centre of a road and the badly injured form of the young half-ghost lay unmoving in the centre._

_It seemed like the attack from Vlad had finally pushed the boy to his limits as Danny Phantom swiftly became Danny Fenton. His body wanted to pull him into unconsciousness so badly and he, in return wanted nothing more than give in to it. However, the teen knew that wasn't an option. If he blacked out now, that would be it. No more Danny._

_The boy groaned and struggled to get to his feet, cradling his pounding head all the while. He almost didn't notice the floating form that had just materialised beside him._

"_That's it isn't it?" He asked quietly after a short pause. "That's my choice. Come with you or die?"_

"_To put it bluntly, yes. And I'd say you've got about a minute before those fools get here. Think fast, little badger."_

_Danny sighed, though he still didn't look at his enemy. Taking care in his steps, he found a rather jagged looking slab of concrete, and sat down. He didn't have the energy to fight with 'those fools'. Vlad had made sure of that._

_There was a long moment of silence in which Danny just stared lifelessly at the floor. Why couldn't the fruit-loop just get it into his head that the boy wasn't going to join him? Especially not now._

_The boy's eyes softened in sorrow as he remembered his encounter with his future self. He wasn't sure if he could keep up his promise to his family. He just felt so wretched, so grief stricken. Before he'd had no idea of why he would ever try so desperately to get away from his humanity. Now it was clear._

_It hurt so much!_

_But there was something he could do. He could avoid taking the steps that lead to said future, the most prominent of course being his involvement with the older half-ghost. Even if it meant dying in the process._

_The boy ran a hand through his hair before finally looking up at Plasmius. The vampire like ghost was hovering a foot off the ground and staring intently at Danny as though wanting to read his thoughts. His hands were folded across his chest and his eyebrows fell over his eyes in such a way, that they turned his eyes semi-circular. Releasing the breath he hadn't known he'd been holding, he addressed the man._

"_Vlad, I couldn't even if I wanted to." He admitted honestly. Taking it as nothing but a refusal, Plasmius didn't hold back on firing the boy his fiercest glare._

"_Why, you little rat! You'd rather die than stay with me? That's low, Daniel, even for you."the older half-ghost spat venomously. If he had been expecting any opposition, he was left sorely disappointed._

_Danny just looked away from the man, not having the energy or enthusiasm for even a verbal fight. He slowly and shakily lowered his arm from his head and wrapped it around himself as if he hoped it would protect him against his, nearer by the second, doom._

"_**Will you look at me while I'm talking to you?**__"_

_The volume of the man's voice was enough to shock the kid into meeting his eye. He watched, unmoving as the ghost advanced on him. He couldn't back away, he couldn't flee, his body was screaming at him to collapse and yet all he could do was stare up at Plasmius with the slightest hint of a frown. However it seemed Plasmius was no longer out to hurt the kid as he took a deep breath and knelt beside him. "Daniel... I know you are hurt and upset..."_

_Danny felt a swell of pain in his chest from the memory of his losses._

"_... And, I am probably the last person you want to see right now. But you have to think this through. I am what you need, what you have always needed, but what you need most now."_

"_I have thought about it..." Danny sighed clasping his hands together on his lap. "And the answer is still no."_

_If Vlad was angry with the boy's response, he did nothing to show it. Instead he placed his own hand on the boy's shoulder before standing up again._

"_Well then, maybe you just need a bit more time..."_

_Before Danny could say or do anything to defend himself, he was hit square in the chest with an unbearably powerful energy blast and sent spiralling into darkness._

When Danny had finally woken up, he had found himself in the middle of the forest at the fringe of Lake Eerie. Vlad must have dumped him there hoping for another chance in the future to convince the younger halfa to accept him.

Danny couldn't help but glare at the man as the images caught up with him. It was his fault he was in such bad condition right now. It was his fault that, for all the boy knew, the flying-moped riding idiots could be right on his tail. As scary as the thought was, he knew there was nothing he could do about it. Unless of course... he asked.

Taking a deep breath and swallowing his pride just a little, the boy's glare fell, and turned to something more desperate.

"...Do they know where I am?" he asked slowly, looking down at his hands that were now clasped in his lap. He didn't see Vlad smirk a little at his question.

"I don't know who it is you mean." The smug tone in the man's voice was enough to relight the boy's anger.

"Stop messing with me, Vlad, I need to know!" Danny's eyes flashed a neon green as he glared into his arch-enemy's eyes. It was clear Vlad was loving every moment of it. The smirk that pulled at his lips was infuriating and the way he looked back at the boy was almost degrading. After a few seconds of silence, the man rolled his eyes, though the amusement never left.

"Alright, calm down Daniel. They don't know you're here." Vlad put up his hand before the boy could sigh with relief. "But that doesn't mean they aren't close."

"What are you talking about?"

Vlad tutted before tilting his head slightly to the left.

"They don't know where you are, but they're still looking. They have your picture up on almost every missing persons site out there. I believe you even reached the news in a few places. Thing is, they're putting a red alert over your head. You are dangerous, a risk to peoples lives and society as a whole. Or so they say. If only they could see you now." the man mocked, raising an eyebrow. Danny however, ignored the jibe.

"You said I've reached the news in places? Where?"

"Oh, just a few places in Missouri and Illinois. I don't believe you have reached any further.. yet."

"Already?" Danny muttered under his breath, eyes once again lowering to his hands.

"My suggestion to you? Lie low. Don't draw any attention to yourself. No more foolish trips to the police station, no more getting caught up in other people's lives. Just imagine what will happen to Melinda when your little.. 'Fan Club' finds out she'd seen you. I'm not getting a pretty picture, how about you?"

Danny felt a wave of fear as he realised Vlad was right. Just by staying with Melinda for those few hours, he had effectively risked the life of her and her family. They were in danger... and it was his fault... Of course there was no guarantee his pursuers would scope out as small a place as Grandview. Yet it was still possible. Especially if Melinda started asking questions. Was it possible she would set up her own missing persons page or even stumble across one from Amity Park? He couldn't let that happen...

"How do I do that? Keep off the radar?"

"Well if I were you, I would find somewhere to hide. I'd offer up my own home but you seem so adamant on refusing my offers so I see no point." Vlad shrugged offhandedly, clearly ignoring his captive's distress.

Danny's eyebrows burrowed in thought. He could do as Vlad said and hide out somewhere on his own away from other people... but... in all honesty, he knew he wouldn't be able to stand being away from people for any long period of time...

Of course, there was always a second option...

No. He couldn't do it. He couldn't endanger Melinda like that. At least not more than he already had.

But maybe... that was the better option...

It would stop her from asking questions and drawing attention to herself, it would also help him keep a low profile. Melinda would be happy and.. well maybe he would too... as happy as he _could _be in his current situation.

And then there was also the fact that it would annoy the hell out of Plasmius.

"I'm going to live with Melinda," he announced. The more he thought about it the more sense it made. _They _would never think to look for the fugitive boy in a normal family household. He was safe!

It was clear from the look on Plasmius' face that the man was beyond shocked at what he had heard.

"What did you say?" he spluttered. It was Danny's turn to smirk.

"I'm going to live with Melinda." The boy's hands slipped from his lap to fold before his chest in a bold position. He had made up his mind, and that was it.

"You little rat! You'd prefer to live with a complete stranger than with an old family friend?"

"In case you don't remember, my family has gone and you are definitely no friend of mine."

Anger flashed in Plasmius' eyes and he quickly nodded to 'Clive'. Within an instant, his henchmen rose from their seats in the van and grabbed the unprepared ghost-child. To say that Danny was surprised would be a huge understatement. Almost forgetting that he was weak and Vlad's workers were ten times stronger than him, he fought against them, trying to wriggle and kick himself free from their vice-like grips.

As much as he struggled, the green tainted ghosts didn't even flinch.

"You don't want to be '_friends_'? That's fine! I'll just have to treat you as an enemy instead." Plasmius spat darkly, sending another nod in Clive's direction. The ghost used his free hand to grab the van's door and push it open. It was then that Clive and the other ghost lifted a protesting Danny an inch from the floor and hurled him full force out of the van.

A burning pain shot through his shoulder as he landed awkwardly on the road. He let out a whimper of pain as he attempted to pull himself up into a sitting position. The last thing he heard before the van doors slammed shut and the vehicle rode off, was Plasmius' voice.

"Don't blame me when you are strapped to an examination table being dissected alive."

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><p><strong>How's that for a creepy end line? ;)<strong>

**-Mea**


	6. Date Night

**_*Yawn*__ WHAT? IT'S NOVEMBER ALREADY? ... *Ahem*... Hello... Long time no see, eh? *Scratches back of neck*_**

**_Quick word of warning, I haven't fully checked through this chapter after editing it so there may be a few missing spaces between words or things like that. Don't look out for them or anything :P Just mentioning it so that you don't kill me if you find anything. I am going to see if my good friend Mooney will take a look at it for me, so I'll feel better about it later..._**

_**Chapter 6 anyone?**_

**Disclaimer:** You know the drill.

**Chapter 6:** Date Night

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><p>The door to the men's bathroom crashed against the wall it was hinged to as a stumbling Eli hurried to the sink. The man's erratic breathing made his chest dance and his hands were producing an uncomplimentary amount of sweat. Bracing himself on the white ledge he looked up to examine himself in the bathroom mirror. His once-styled dark brown hair was sticking out at all angles and his deep brown eyes, which he had previously trained to look seductive and sexy, had now obtained more of a 'deer in the headlights' look.<p>

So tonight wasn't going as he had hoped it would.

Turning the cold tap on full blast, the psychology professor scooped up as much water as he could hold and splashed it onto his face. It was almost like he believed that with this action alone, he could fight off the growing dread that was building within him. Unfortunately the freedom he had felt as he had entered the bathroom had slipped away within a second as he realised something.

He was going to have to go back out there.

A loud gulping sound emitted from his throat as his eyes drifted to the entrance. Maybe he could find another way out... A quick scope of the toilets informed the man that there was no emergency exit. He knew it had been wishful thinking to start with but it had been worth a try.

So if there wasn't a door... there had to be another option...

The window! As it turned out, the bathroom had multiple windows, each positioned above a cubicle. If he was thinking straight he probably would have noticed that each of these windows were of a small size. However logic was the last thing on the desperate man's mind and he wasted no time in jumping into one of the cubicles and standing on the toilet lid to reach the window above it.

Eli hastily pulled on the latch to the glass and the frame swung outwards. Success so far. With a small smile of achievement, the professor pulled himself up using the bottom of the now open window. If he did this right, he could easily slide backwards through the frame to the other side. Glancing out into the open, Eli was exceptionally happy to find that there was nothing but a back alley on the other side of the wall. He wouldn't be spotted.

Feeling more confident by the second, the professor stuck his left leg through the opening. Getting himself comfortable, he did the same with his right. He then took his time in twisting himself around so as the only thing stopping his face from meeting with the floor was his hands that held tightly to the window frame. Now all he had to do was slide his body through the gap.

It wasn't until he got half way that he realised something was wrong.

Pulling a little harder on the bottom of the window as though putting more force in would get him through, it began to dawn on him just how small the window really was. Panicking, he quickly decided to try in the opposite direction, pushing against the window's frame.

Now Eli had never considered his backside to be overly large. In fact, if you had asked him, he would have told you that he had a fairly average sized bottom. As it turned out however, big or small, it was said backside that had gotten him rather stuck.

To make matters worse, it was at the point that he realised this problem that the bathroom door swung open and a middle-aged man walked in.

The man in question was dressed in a suit and had his remaining greying hair slicked back against his head. The look on his face was one of pure shock as he observed the torso of a man's body hanging from a window.

By now, Eli's face had turned a tomato red. He just continued to lay mid-air, staring at the grey eyed man, said man looking back at him in return. There was an awkward silence as Eli tried to think of something to say to justify his situation. Before he could do so however, the man looked at him sympathetically.

"Parents?" he asked simply.

Eli sighed, letting his head fall forwards.

"I wish," He pushed harder on the wall before giving up again. "Bad date."

"Ah." the man nodded in understanding before smiling apologetically. He then proceeded to walk into the toilet cubicle furthest from Eli and closed the door behind him. The professor sighed as he heard a quiet tinkling sound coming from said cubicle and slumped, his head an unflattering distance from the toilet below. Yup, this was definitely the worst night of his life. What made it worse though, was the fact that his current predicament was still a whole lot better than being out there with _Cassandra._

Eli shuddered. Even her name was enough to induce fear in his heart. The sound of a toilet flushing was enough to pull him out of his musings and he looked up to see the middle-aged man leave his cubicle and head to the door. The man looked up at him and nodded his goodbye.

"Good luck." he called before exiting.

"Ew! You could have at least washed your hands!" Eli muttered under his breath, a grimace plastered to his face. With the man's departure, the professor decided to try his luck with the window again. He took a hold of the window frame trapping him and pulled trying to force his way out of the building. He was vaguely aware of the blood rushing to his head while he fought and the fact that there was enough sweat dripping off his face to water a horse. He had also caught on to the fact that his whole bottom half was flapping like a fish. He wouldn't give in though, he needed to get out!

The man grunted as he let himself collapse once more. Maybe he could rest for just a little while; that wasn't giving up... was it?

"Er.. What are you doing?"

Eli jumped as he heard a voice from outside. His face immediately began to burn a bright red and his heartbeat nearly tripled; he didn't want to imagine what this looked like from the other end. It took him a moment to realise that the questioning voice from outside was that of a child.

"This isn't what it looks like!" he called, panicking. It seemed like the best thing to say under the circumstances.

"What does it look like?"

Eli blinked. "... You tell me."

"Well, either you're a nut, or you're stuck."

The professor rolled his eyes. _Great, I get the kid with a sense of humour. _"Just help me get out of this, will ya?"

"Uh... sure."

Feeling immensely cold hands around his ankles, Eli began, once again, to pull on the window frame. Despite both his and the kid's efforts, he didn't budge.

"Wow... You're really stuck in this thing." the boy grunted, still pulling. Eli growled slightly.

"Really? I hadn't noticed." he retorted sarcastically.

"Okay, calm down!"

The professor found himself glaring at the peeling blue wallpaper on the far wall of the room as he continued to pull.

"I am calm!" A little splattering of spittle flew from his mouth as he all but shouted his comment. Okay, so what if he wasn't? He had every right not to be! However, he quickly realised that freaking out wasn't really helping him. Sighing loudly he collapsed, and felt the boy drop his legs. "Just go and find someone to help."

"Who?" The man could almost hear the boy's frown in his voice. It was at that point he realised just how much help he really needed. It dawned on him that the only way for him to get out of there unscathed... was to make the situation a whole lot more embarrassing.

"Try the fire brigade... or the police."

"No!" The speed at which the kid answered shocked Eli. Did he say something wrong? "Er... I mean... I don't think that's necessary, you're nearly out!"

"I don't feel nearly out." the man huffed, shrugging off the boy's weird behavior. He scowled as a strand of his hair fell into his face. '_Man, that took me__, __like, ten minutes to__style! I never take ten minutes!' _A cold tingling feeling swept through his body, causing him to jolt slightly. _What the...?_Before he could finish his thought, he felt his body slip through the window and winced as he clumsily hit the floor.

All he could do for the next few seconds was stare at the window two metres above him. How...? A small cough caught the man's attention and his eyes snapped up to the young boy standing over him. That couldn't be right... The kid couldn't have been much older than thirteen! Not to mention he had absolutely no muscle. Eli would go as far as to say he looked physically ill. How on earth was it that he, a fully grown male, couldn't pull himself out of a window, yet such a scrawny little boy could.

"Wow..."

Seemingly oblivious to the man's stare, the black-haired boy cocked his head to the left and did a quick once over of Eli with his eyes. "Are you okay?" he asked softly, shoving his hands into his trouser pockets.

"Yeah, I think so."

"That's good..."

"I guess it is..." There was a long and painfully awkward silence as the two males continued to examine each other. Eli couldn't help but notice how cold the boy looked. Why said boy was wearing only a thin shirt was beyond him. It was coming up to winter for crying out loud! What made it all the worse was the fact that the shirt in question wasn't fully fastened up, exposing his chest. Thank goodness he was wearing something underneath.

However, it was only when he looked slightly closer that Eli had to stifle a gasp. What he had first thought to be a plain T-shirt, was in fact rather brutish looking bandages. Letting his eyes wonder, he began to realise just how banged up the kid looked. He was covered head to toe in cuts and bruises. Although most of them seemed to have healed up a bit, the professor spotted a more recent looking scuff on his shoulder. It almost made the man shudder to think of the state of the skin underneath. He opened his mouth to say something, yet he couldn't seem to formulate the words. By this time, however, the young boy had finished his own inspection and was staring awkwardly at the wall to the left of the professor's head.

"Well... er... I better be going..." the kid spoke up eventually, breaking the silence that had clouded them both.

"Right." Eli nodded once watching as the teen turned and walked away from him. He didn't get far though before he suddenly turned and looked at the man inquisitively.

"You don't, by any chance, happen to know a Melinda Gordon? She owns the..."

"Antiques store at the end of the road." the professor interrupted with a smile. "I should think that I do! I am, after all one of her closest friends." He puffed up his chest with playful pride, grinning as he earned something close to a smile from the teen.

"Well, that's handy..." the boy murmured, only just loud enough for Eli to hear. "Do you think... I dunno... you could possibly point me in the direction of her house? You see, I'm supposed to be staying with her but I went for a walk and... well, I kinda got lost..."

Eli blinked. This kid was staying with Melinda? Since when did Melinda... Then it clicked. "Oh! Of course!" Melinda had said something about a young guest earlier on the phone. Eli had been too wrapped up in other things however to really take much notice. "You must be Sterling!"

"Who?" It was the boy's turn to look confused. Eli frowned. He knew he could be forgetful at times, and he hadn't really been paying much attention to the conversation but he thought he remembered the kid's name at the very least. In fact, he was sure of it! He remembered because it was at the exact point Melinda had mentioned his name, he had been passing a rather large billboard advertising some washing machine detergent by the name of 'Sterling Active'. It was ironic really.

"Sterling?" The boy continued to look blankly at the man. Was it possible the boy didn't remember his own name? Eli frowned at the prospect. "_Danny _Sterling?" he clarified wondering if the boy had forgotten his first name too.

"What? … Oh! Uh, yes! Sterling, that's right, Danny Sterling.. That's me.." The kid's cheeks turned a pink colour and one of his hands pulled out of his pocket and rested on the back of his head. Eli blinked a few times.

"Right..."

Danny winced, dragging his hand down his neck and sliding it back into his pocket. He was quick to change the subject.

"So can you point me in her direction?" he asked watching the light go on in Eli's eyes as he remembered what they were talking about before.

"Sure, if you go..."

"Professor James!" A shrill voice emitted from the still open window from which Eli had fallen. Danny watched as the professor's face went as white as his wonky shirt coller.

"You know what? Why don't I take you?" Eli whispered, not missing a beat.

"Wha...?" Before the boy had any chance to say anything, the suddenly ill looking professor rushed past him and towards the exit of the alley way.

Eli didn't hesitate to pull out his car keys as he sped up, desperate to get as far away from _that woman _as he could. He almost forgot the boy completely as his mind was consumed with the sole purpose of escaping before Cassandra realised he had left her. Finally reaching his car he dashed over to the driver's side. He didn't need to look to know that Danny had followed him the whole way.

The young boy watched, bewildered, as the man jumped into the newish looking black car. The man quickly leaned over to the passenger side door and pushed it open.

"Get in!" he called, starting up the engine.

"What?"

"I said get in!" Eli sighed when he noticed Danny was just standing there. "Look, do you want a lift or not?"

"I dunno..." Suddenly it became clear to the professor. He had to suppress the urge to smack his head against the steering wheel as he realised what the problem was. Of course the boy didn't trust him, he didn't know the man! For all he know, Eli could be some crazed serial killer. Rolling his eyes, he let his head fall back onto his head rest.

"Look I'm not forcing you to get in the car. I get it if you don't trust me or whatever, just please, either let me take you to Melinda or step away from the door so I can get the hell out of here." Eli's eyes darted between the boy and the entrance of the restaurant in which he had been dining in not so long ago. Despite the man's desperation, Danny didn't say anything, nor did he move towards or away from the car, he just stood there looking deep in thought.

Glancing back at the restaurant, Eli gasped in horror as the form of his 'date' appeared in the doorway.

Cassandra Greene was one of the prettiest and most desirable women in the whole of Grandview. She was fairly wealthy, she was funny and just about everyone loved her. She was perfect. Everybody knew she and the physics professor at the university were a huge item.

Well... that's what Eli had thought. So naturally the man was shocked when she told him she liked him and asked him to take her out sometime. If only he'd known that it would turn out to be one of the worst dates in the history of dating.

The moment they had set foot in the restaurant, she was all over him, kissing him, oh so passionately and had flat out refused to remove her arms from around him. It was flattering at first but then it just got _weird_. Obviously, he wanted to know just what was going on, and he was pretty sure he knew the answer when he spotted said physics professor, John Clayton or something daft like that, sat across the room from them with a very young looking woman. Well the minute he made the connection, he knew he had to get out of there. He wasn't some pawn to get some guy jealous. Just as he had tried to rise from the table, Cassandra had been on him, sweetly asking where he was going. Before he'd really had time to come up with an excuse, she'd tackled him to his chair and sat on his lap, the affection returning ten-fold. It was only ten minutes later that the rather overwhelmed Eli had managed to escape and dash off to the bathroom.

Now there she was, with her beautiful long blond hair floating down her back and her slightly over-the-top make-up caking her face. The long red dress she was wearing that clung to her body had originally made him drool; now it just made him want to vomit. It was all too much.

"_Quick!_" he hissed, wanting to disappear before she noticed him.

Making his decision in the next instant, Danny slipped into the passenger's seat and closed the door behind him. He had only just managed to get his seat belt into its buckle when the car started moving.

"Woah! Chill, will ya?" the boy protested as he was slammed into his seat from the speed at which the man was driving. However Eli didn't seem to have heard Danny as his driving became all the more erratic.

The man's heart was in his chest. Had she seen him? Did she know he was driving off without her? It was obvious he had deserted her, what with her even checking the _men's _toilet. He had to admit, she was pretty scary. He didn't want to think about what she would do to him when he saw her next.

"Hey, er.. Professor... James?"

Maybe he could hide for the rest of his life. His house was nice enough, if he got together some supplies he was pretty sure he could hide there for a long while, at least until she forgot about him; but how long would that be? A month? A year? Maybe he should stop off at a shop on his way to Melinda's and stock up on his food supplies...

"Slow down!" Danny yelled, instantly breaking Eli out of his fear-induced crazy streak. The man blinked a few times then looked down at his speed and noticed just how over the limit it was. He immediately took control and slowed his speed.

"Sorry..." he mumbled with a frown. The boy sagged down in his seat, his face flooding relief. Geez, over reaction much? It hadn't been _that_bad... Eli was just about to say something along those lines when he caught sight of his scrawny passenger.

"Beautiful night to have a mental breakdown though, don't you think?" the man joked lightly, gazing up at the sky. As evil a man he was sometimes portrayed to be, Eli hated to see anyone look so sad. He knew his attempt to cheer the boy up would probably be in vain but it was worth a shot. To the man's surprise, his 'shot' paid off; a small flicker of a smile found itself on Danny's face.

"I'm with you on that one." His eyes joined the professor's in the maze of stars above their heads. Eli chuckled at the boy's response glancing at him before looking back at the road. He liked this kid.

"I just realised something."

Danny looked across at the man, his glistening blue eyes questioning.

"I never actually thanked you for saving me back there." It was true. The words had never left his mouth... or even reached his mind come to think about it. Danny blinked, obviously noticing it too. However the boy just shrugged it off.

"You didn't have to, I'm sure anyone would have helped."

"Apparently not..." Eli murmured, remembering the ageing man from earlier . Before the kid could ask about it though, the professor continued. "But seriously, you're a hero, you know that?"

It appeared that was the wrong thing to say. The teen's eyes suddenly drooped, his gaze dimming and his face displaying fierce pain. "I'm not a hero." His voice was dead.

Eli frowned slightly at the tone and wished he could take back what he had said. He wasn't a psychology professor for nothing and he knew emotional torture when he saw it. He also knew that leaving Danny to his thoughts at the moment probably wasn't the best thing he could do. If he was allowed to just wallow in his pain, it would most likely consume him. So it fell to Eli to come up with something to say that would pull the boy out of his musings.

A task easier said than done.

"You know, when I'm down, I sing."

"What?" Danny's eyes slowly travelled up to the man, clearly shocked with the randomness of the statement. The professor met his eye for a second.

"It's true, when I'm feeling sad, I sing to myself. It helps!" Eli's face was a picture of innocence. It took Danny another moment to find his voice again.

"I can't sing." he mumbled weakly. The professor shot him an amused look.

"What, and you think I can?" Danny stared up at the guy, wondering if he was being serious. However Eli just grinned, plan already formulating in his mind. "Tell you what, why don't I prove it to you?" He quickly took one hand from the steering wheel and moved it to the car's radio. Danny watched as the volume went from mute to twenty. The professor's grin grew a little wider as he recognised the song that was playing.

"Perfect!" he exclaimed glancing down to his passenger. "You wanna give it a go?"

Eyes widening slightly, Danny shook his head. Eli shrugged before opening his mouth.

"_... You just gotta igniiiite the liiiight and leeet it shine. Just ooown the niiiight like the fourth of Julyyy!_"

Danny couldn't help but laugh out loud at the man's attempt at singing. Of course in effect this just egged the man on all the more. Eli smiled as he realised his 'devious plan' was working. He sung louder.

"_... Make 'em gooooo, oh, oh, oh as you shooot across the skyyyyyy. Baby you're a Fiiirework!_"

"Okay! Okay! I think you've made your point!" Danny gasped, still in fits of laughter. Despite the boy's words, Eli continued to strangle the song, his hands tapping the steering wheel as he did.

"..._You don't have to feeeel … mhmmmhmmmh... mhmmmhmmmh... cannot be replaced … Mhmmmhmmmh... mhmmmh future hooolds..." _Eli shot his passenger a mischievous look. "Why aren't you joining in?"

"I think I'll leave the glass-breaking to you." Danny replied with a smile. Eli shrugged.

"Suit yourself." With that, the man started up again. Danny shook his head in an almost pitying motion before turning and looking out of his window. Eli couldn't explain the instant liking he had for the boy. Within a few minutes of knowing him, he felt like the kid was one of his closest friends. Singing wasn't something he did in front of just anybody!

The man glanced over at the boy who had his back to him. His eyes fell on the torn shoulder of the kid's shirt. Eli had no idea how the boy had gotten himself so badly beaten up and he didn't think he'd like to find out. What made the sight all the more upsetting though, was the fact that Danny was obviously a nice kid. He didn't seem aggressive. He certainly didn't look like the kind of kid that did drugs. Not only that but he was so polite. He had stopped to help Eli out, even when he didn't know him. Even if Danny didn't see himself as a hero, Eli did.

"And the crowd goes wild! Eli! Eli! Eli!" the professor cheered as the song he had been murdering finally ended. Danny looked across at the man and the corners of his mouth turned up as he saw the enthusiasm in the man's face as he chanted his own name.

"Is that wild as in their eardrums have exploded and they're running around like headless chickens or wild as in, you were so bad they're attacking you with pitchforks?" Danny's smile grew when Eli rolled his eyes.

"Geez, just because you're jealous of my amazing skill doesn't mean you have to take it out on me!" the man sighed dramatically, earning yet another laugh from the teen beside him.

"Amazing skill, right, I'll make a note of that." Danny quipped.

"You should!"

There was a moment of companionable silence as Danny's laughter died down and Eli continued to drive.

The professor snuck a glance at his passenger. He couldn't help but notice how often the boy rubbed his chest. It was clear he was in a lot of pain. Although he was determined not to bring it up with him, Eli was worried for the boy's health, both mentally and physically. There was still an awful amount of anguish in Danny's eyes, more than any boy of his age should have to harbour. The man wanted nothing more than to free him of it. In the few minutes he had known the boy, he had learned so much about him, more than Danny probably knew he was giving away. For example, he was aware of the fact Danny had suffered a huge loss in his life. He was also aware that the boy felt responsible for either said loss or something else just as big. It was all in his eyes.

No matter how badly he wanted to know the boy's secret and help him out, he couldn't bring himself to break the friendship they had created over the past fifteen minutes. He feared he would do just that if he pushed too hard. If Danny wanted to talk to him, he could. Until then, Eli would have to be patient.

"So how long have you known Melinda?" Danny asked, pulling the driver out of his thoughts. Eli blinked a few times as he considered the question.

"I think coming up to seven years now." he murmured. Wow, that made him sound old. Danny nodded, obviously not following the same thought process as the professor.

"So how did you meet?"

Eli winced as he remembered the events leading up to his first encounter with the woman.

"It's a really long story."

"We've got time." Eli frowned and looked at the kid... Was he really that interested? According to the boy's face, he was.

"Okay then, to put it simply, I died and her husband... er... he was a paramedic back then, brought me back."

Danny blinked and looked up at the slightly uncomfortable looking Eli. "You died?" The man didn't gratify the question with a worded answer, he just nodded, eyes trained on the road before him.

"How?" The question would have probably seemed rude coming from someone else. The fact that the kid held such wonder and longing in his voice, made Eli suspicious somehow. The boy made it sound like he could relate. It was almost as if the kid had some big secret that he wasn't spilling and he wanted someone who had a similar secret to confide in.

But that was ridiculous. Wasn't it?

Then again, Eli knew it was possible. It seemed he knew better than anyone that dying certainly left a mark. It opened up a whole new world that most people were blissfully unaware of. Well it did for him at least. It seemed that the day he died, he gained his own little secret.

He could hear ghosts.

His abilities weren't anywhere near the standard of Melinda's; he couldn't see the ghosts, nor could he receive visions from them as she could. Not that he envied her on that. But he could talk to them and he was proud of that. It was true that to start with, it had been scary. Voices in a person's head were things reserved for the crazies.

It took him a while to realise that the voices he was hearing were outside of his head. It took Melinda a heck of a long time to knock the truth into him.

Now? Well, now he felt awesome! He had a gift that others could only dream of. He was special and above all that, he could help people in ways he had never thought possible. Granted the visits in the middle of the night weren't that appreciated, and would it _kill _them to keep their voices down? Er... figuratively speaking that is.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked..." Danny's voice broke Eli's train of thought and he realised he had gone quiet on the kid.

"Oh, no, it's not that... I got a bit lost in thought there..." He shook his head as if to clear away said thoughts, only to replace them with new ones. "Okay... so to put it simply..."

The man took a deep breath, wondering how best to describe it.

"I was at work, at the university... I'm a professor in psychology there, and someone started a fire outside my room... Next thing I know, I'm in hospital." Okay, so there was a whole lot more to the story, but Danny didn't need to know any of that.

"Geez, really? Did you ever find out who did it?"

"No, I didn't. It was probably just a prank gone wrong,"Eli lied smoothly. He wasn't interested in getting into a confusingly long-winded explanation over something he wasn't even sure he understood. Danny blinked, but then shrugged and returned a hand to his chest.

* * *

><p>"Mel, stop worrying, he'll be fine!" Jim groaned from his slouched position on the sofa. He'd been sitting there for about half an hour, watching his wife pace back and forth around the living room.<p>

"Jim, he's out there, all alone, in the freezing cold, probably starving to death, how can you say _he'll be fine_?" Melinda slumped down on the seat across from Jim and sunk her head into her hands. Taking this as an opportunity, Jim rose from his seat and knelt down before his wife. He gently took her hands in his and pulled them away from her head.

"Listen to me. Danny's a smart kid. I knew that the moment I saw him. He also seems to know a thing or two about survival. I'm sure that as soon as he realises he's better off in a house than on unfamiliar street corners, he'll come straight back. Even if he doesn't, he'll find something else. You don't have to worry about him; it's not your responsibility!" The man lovingly took a hold of Melinda's chin and guided her face to his, making sure she was looking in his eyes. "He'll be okay."

Melinda's light brown eyes fastened on Jim's grey-blue ones and after a few seconds, she began to calm down a little as she realised he was right. Danny _was _a smart kid. That much was sure since he first walked into her store. He survived one night on his own in Grandview, he could survive another. Sighing deeply she clasped the doctor's hand that was still clutching her chin and pulled it away from her face before holding it to her heart.

"I love you," she murmured in way of thanks. Jim smiled and shot her a wink.

"I know." Without warning he pulled away from her and stood up. "Hot chocolate?"

Melinda nodded, watching her husband move into the kitchen.

* * *

><p>"And I think this is your stop." Eli beamed up at the dimly lit house before them. Glancing down at the clock, the man realised just how late it was. He then caught sight of a pacing silhouette in the downstairs window and instantly made the connection. Just as his passenger reached for the door handle to get out of the car, Eli caught his arm, attracting the kid's attention.<p>

"Melinda did know about your little walk... didn't she?" the man asked, suddenly worried. When Danny shot his driver a curious look, Eli nodded down to the flashing clock that read twelve thirty AM. A look of realisation spread on the kid's face causing him to blink a few times.

"I told Aiden," he eventually murmured in response. So that was a no. Casting a furtive glance to the occupied window, Eli swallowed.

"I think I should probably go in with you..."

Again, the boy's face was quizzical. Of course, Danny probably hadn't seen Melinda's dark side. The over protective, slightly obsessive and downright scary dark side. All the more reason for Eli to accompany him.

"Trust me, I think it'll be safer for everyone." The man gulped again, doing nothing to hide his fear of the woman. Obviously taking that as a warning, Danny nodded his approval and exited the car. Eli prepared himself for the worst and quickly followed the boy out.

The walk up to the front door was painfully fast. Eli could feel his heart hammering in his chest. Sadly enough, this was _still _better than Cassandra. Danny's knock on the door seemed to echo around the garden. So did the sound of hurried footsteps advancing on them. Eli glanced at Danny and wondered how the boy could look so calm at a time like this. He felt like running back to his car and racing off as fast as he could to deal with all this another time; and it wasn't even him in bother! This fact was emphasised when the door opened to reveal a rather flustered looking Melinda.

"Danny?"

* * *

><p><strong><em>Review Responses!<em>**

**_Lolxxx: _**Well... What can I say :P Danny can be kinda rude at times. Thanks for your continuous support! I really hope I haven't killed your interest in this fiction just yet, ya know with the long waits an' all. Hoping this chapter has made it up to you ;)

**_Konekoko:_ **Heh thanks :P There were points I got scared Vlad was becoming too sadistic but he seems to have gotten a good response so that's good :) Thanks for the review! :D

_**Unknown:**_ Heh, all is to be revealed :P Thanks for the review ^x^

_**Anonymous:**_ Why thank you :)

_**Please, please, please tell me if I've missed anyone out!**_

_**So yeah... I can't promise a quick update or anything of the sort. All I can say is that I promise I will finish this fiction! Thanks for all your support :)**_

_**Iymea xxx **_


	7. 5 Ways to Formulate a Friendship

**Hello. Sorry again for the wait. I finished this about a week ago as some of you know but editing issues came up and I was waiting for it to come back to me. It didn't so I thought, rather than make you lot suffer, I'd put up the unedited version and see if we couldn't get up the remodelled version later.**

**So yeah. I hope this chapter is up to standard and enjoy your longish read.**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything.

**Chapter 7:**5 Ways to Formulate a Friendship

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><p>Danny didn't get the chance to prepare himself for what happened next. All he could do was cry out in shock as he was pulled into an air constricting hug. Melinda's embrace had pinned his arms awkwardly to his sides. The only movement he found himself capable of doing, was twisting his head to shoot a 'help me' look in Eli's direction. The psychology professor just shrugged helplessly.<p>

"Er... Melinda?"

After about ten more seconds, the frantic woman withdrew from her hug and settled for grabbing the teen's shoulders and holding him arm's length away from her so that she could look into his face. Danny almost wanted to go back into the hug as Melinda's eyes seemed to probe at his very soul.

"What were you thinking? You could have been hurt, or worse! You don't know what kind of creeps are out there!"

_'I have a pretty good idea'_

Worry was etched onto the woman's face and a trickle of guilt formed in Danny's chest.

"I was just..."

"What if you'd been kidnapped? Do you realise how late it is?" She cut him off before he could finish.

"But I was..."

"Not to mention how cold it is and look at you, you're only in a shirt; you could have caught pneumonia!"

"Melinda I..."

"You could have at least picked up a coat! You had me worried sick; don't ever do that again!"

Danny paused for a second, waiting to see whether she was going to start up again. Her hands were still on his shoulders and it seemed a waste of energy to pull away. When it became clear that she wasn't going to say anything else, the boy tried again.

"Look, Melinda. I'm sorry if I scared you, I'm sorry if I kept you awake, but like I told Aiden, I just wanted a walk, you know, to clear my head and everything. I didn't mean to cause you any stress." The calm note in his voice both shocked and scared him. It didn't sound like him in the slightest and he sounded so _cold_.

Getting over the nasty surprise he slowly took in his host's expression. She too looked as though she was fighting with her emotions. He couldn't read exactly what they were but he knew conflict when he saw it.

"Couldn't you have waited until tomorrow?" Melinda replied eventually, her voice filled with exasperation.

"I'm sorry." Danny repeated looking away from the woman and finally pulling himself free from her grasp. Melinda sighed.

"Well, I'd better be off." Danny jumped and whirled around to see Eli edging towards the door. He'd forgotten the man was even there.

"Okay, thanks for everything." Melinda responded softly, moving over to Eli and hugging him lightly. Danny could have sworn he heard her whisper something to the man but he couldn't make out any words. Melinda pulled away from him and she and Danny watched the professor get into his car and drive off, but not before giving his audience a little farewell wave.

Melinda closed the door.

There was a moment of tense silence between the two as each fell deep into their own thoughts.

"Danny?" The kid turned and gazed upon the weary looking Jim. "I think you should go upstairs."

Danny glanced at Melinda. Jim was right. There wasn't anything else he could do down there and he didn't want to upset anyone any more than he already had by handing around. The boy kept his eyes on the woman a moment longer observing the empty way in which she stared down at the floor before looking down himself and nodding. With a sigh, he left up the stairs.

* * *

><p>"Danny?" A little voice from outside his door woke Danny from his state of sorrow.<p>

"What's up?" He called out, hating the way his voice squeaked. There was a short pause before the voice sounded again.

"Can I come in?"

Danny glanced at his the clock on his side which clearly read one forty. What was this kid even doing awake?

"Sure, why not." The young halfa ferociously wiped at his eyes, trying to remove any evidence of them ever having been wet. The door to his room cracked open and a small figure crept in.

Aiden looked tired. His eyes were red from overuse and his hair was stuck out at all angles. He held a small tatty yellow bear in his right hand and his left hung limply at his side. A small smile tugged at the corner of Danny's lips as he looked over the boy's pyjamas. The deep blue fluff that enveloped his body bellow the neck was dotted with red and white space rockets flying in all different directions. His blue slippers matched.

"How can I help you?" He asked, his voice a lot warmer than before. Aiden blinked up at the older boy before moving over to the bed and sitting in the spot Danny had cleared for him.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay." The child murmured tiredly, eyelids drooping. Despite his obvious need for rest, there was clear cut worry in the youngster's voice that made Danny's smile grow. The fact that such a small boy could feel such love and care for a complete stranger almost, was awe-inspiring. A fresh wave of tears threatened to break out as the guilt flared up in his chest once more. He lied to this kid and Aiden had already forgiven him.

"I'm more than okay. Thank you." The halfa's voice held a certain soft warmth he had never even heard himself use before. The younger boy yawned mightily.

"That's good," he whispered and then did something Danny really wasn't expecting; He fell asleep.

"Aiden?" The halfa didn't really know what to do. What _could _he do with a five year old spread out on his bed? The most obvious answer was to wake him up but one look at the sleeping child told Danny that that wasn't an option. So there was only one other thing for it. The teen knew he wasn't at his full strength and he was still pretty zapped of his energy bit he had enough for this. Standing up, the boy positioned his arms around the little boy and, with an awful lot of effort, he lifted him off the bed. Taking his time, the halfa moved out of his still open door and padded down the landing to where he knew Aiden's room was located.

The teen took a deep breath to steady himself then somehow managed to push his way into the younger boy's room. Danny spotted the bed and slowly made his way towards it, trying to dodge the multiple toys populating the floor on his way.

Before long he reached the bed and gently rested the sleeping Aiden down onto it, moving the quilt and wrapping it around the boy.

Danny hesitated a moment and took in the image before him. The gentle rising and falling of Aiden's chest, the soft sound of his breathing through his slightly parted lips and the way his black hair fell about his head like a glossy halo all strengthened Danny's feelings for the child. He then turned away from the bed.

All of a sudden, a familiar tingling sensation spread across his throat and he opened his mouth slightly to allow a small wisp of crystallised blue mist to escape through it. The teen instantly glided his eyes across the room, unaware that his heart-rate had doubled. Without a second thought, the boy transformed into Phantom. A staggering wave of weakness hit him almost instantly but he hardly acknowledged it. His eyes were still doing a complete surveillance of the room and he slowly but surely lifted himself from the ground. When his inspection of the room came up with nothing, Danny flew outside of the house to see if what he had felt had been hiding in the night. The boy completed a full circuit of the building and quickly examined every room in the house, excluding Melinda and Jim's bedroom.

There was nothing. Frowning, Danny flew back into his room. Could he have been wrong? His ghost sense had never failed him before. What if all his pent up emotions were playing with his ghost powers? Deciding it was probably best to let it go, the kid slipped back into his human form and collapsed on his bed.

* * *

><p>As soon as Danny awoke, he was hit with a blinding light. It took him a while to realise that said light was coming from the window. Shielding his eyes with his arms, the boy rose from his bed and glanced at his clock. Eleven fifteen? How did that happen? He must have been more tired than he thought. The halfa slowly made his way to the window and pulled the curtains closed. He couldn't remember ever having opened them which led him to believe that someone had been in earlier in the morning and done it for him. Turning back to the bed, Danny noticed something else. A small pile of clothes were situated on the small chest of draws at the bottom of said bed.<p>

The boy moved over to the clothes, carefully examining the light blue sweatshirt and the baggy grey-black jeans. It didn't take him long to notice just how swamped he was going to be in the selected clothing, but there was really nothing he could do about it.

He was dressed within the space of a few minutes. The teen made his way towards the small wall mirror situated in the centre of the wall to his left, opposite the window. He clumsily pushed his hands through his hair, hoping, in vain, to make it look slightly more presentable.

There was no avoiding it now. Taking his time, Danny padded to his door and taking a deep breath, exited the room and made his way down the stairs. The living room was empty, forcing the teen to walk deeper into the house.

"Danny!" Jim cried out from his seat at the kitchen table. If Danny didn't know any better, he'd say he had startled the man. It wasn't too far-fetched. Jim had no way of knowing when exactly Danny would wake up. Yet the way Jim kept glancing nervously at his screen was a little unsettling for the teen.

"Hey..." There was an uncomfortable silence in which Danny found himself shifting unsteadily from one foot to the other. His arms wrapped themselves around his torso. "Er... Where is everyone?" he asked, saying the first thing that came into his head.

"School and Work." It was a simple reply but that didn't stop it from bringing a heat to the teen's cheeks.

"Ah." the boy responded sheepishly. It took all he had not to rub the back of his neck and give away his true discomfort. Another silence.

Jim stole a glance at his laptop screen then looked up at his company again. "You hungry?"

The dull ache in Danny's stomach seemed to answer for him and his war against his trademark habit was lost as his hand reached for the bottom of his head. "Actually, yes."

Jim nodded then peeped one last look at his computer before clicking something on the screen and rising from his spot at the table.

Danny watched silently as the man moved over to one of the overhead cupboards and pulled out a plate.

"Scrambled egg on toast all right?"

"Uh... Sure, that'd be great." As he spoke, the boy made his way to the breakfast table and pulled up a chair. The light from Jim's laptop caught his eye and he couldn't help but notice that all the pages had been minimized. Well, that was slightly odd. Danny decided not to dwell on it any longer. It really wasn't any of his business. Not knowing what to do with himself, he perched on the corner of his seat and looked down at the table awkwardly. He felt completely out of place but he knew there was nothing he could really do about it. He just had to stick around and hope that he could sink into the flow quite quickly; he didn't want to stand out too bad.

Danny's thoughts moved to the previous night. So much had happened in such a short amount of time and he wasn't really sure whether he had dreamed some of it up or not. He knew he had tried to run- sorry, _fly_ away, he also knew Melinda had gone looking for him. Had he really been abducted then let go by Plasmius? Had he really carried a five year-old to bed then flown the whole expanse of the house?

If he had dreamed those scenes up could that mean he had dreamed up the hostility he had heard in Jim's voice when he returned with Eli? The teen would have loved to believe so, yet the stiff manor in which the man was moved told Danny otherwise.

It was clear Jim wasn't exactly Danny's number one fan this morning.

"Here we are." The boy blinked as he was pulled out of his thoughts by a plate being delivered in front of him. How long had he zoned out for this time?

"Thanks." he murmured, watching from the corner of his eye as Jim made his way back to his computer.

Danny stared down at his food carefully moving it about, if not to eat it, then to distract him from the awkwardness of the situation. Jim was clicking randomly about his computer. Not wanting to sit in silence any longer, the teen lowered his fork and and looked at his company in a way he hoped came off as interested.

"What are you doing?" Okay, so in hindsight he could have been a little more tactful in his choice of words but he was tired and he was in an unfamiliar house, there could be allowances for some things.

"Research," the man replied with a kind of eerie calmness that could only be forced. Danny didn't notice however and just gazed blankly at Jim, waiting for an elaboration. When he didn't get one, he let his eyes fall back to his plate. Slowly and carefully he picked up a section of the toast with his fork and took a bite.

The only time Danny had ever had scrambled egg on toast, he was at his aunt Alicia's house. Now it was pretty well known that his aunt wasn't exactly the best cook in the universe and as it turned out, the meal had tasted more of erasers and cardboard, and yes, courtesy of Dash, Danny had tasted both. It certainly wasn't something he ever wished to experience again and he definitely wouldn't recommend it to anyone else. When Jim had offered the meal choice to him earlier, he had felt a pang of fear, but not wanting to be awkward, he had just gone with it.

As soon as the food touched his tongue however, he knew he would never see it in the same light again.

It was incredible.

The boy had no idea what the man had put in it but the slight hint of spice in the egg was enough to make him wolf down the rest of it. He was instantly disappointed when he realised there was none left.

"Wow. That was amazing, thanks." Danny commented, gratefully.

"No problem, just put your plate in the sink, I'll sort it out later," responded Jim, still looking down at his computer screen. The man's gaze crept up to Danny as the boy did as he was asked. He then snapped his eyes back to his computer when his company looked back.

"I'll just, go upstairs then..." the teen muttered hesitantly. Jim met his eye and nodded. He then followed the kid with his gaze until he heard soft footsteps moving up the stairs.

The man let out a breath he didn't realise he had been holding and he moved his mouse over the window he had been so quick to close down when Danny had walked in on him. The window popped up.

'Missing Persons_'_

* * *

><p>The bell on the door rang out as the latest customer left the 'Same As It Never Was' Antiques store. To Eli it sounded more like a bell of death. Within the space of a second, he was cornered on the sofa by the avenging angels themselves.<p>

"So what do you say?" Melinda asked, the light on her face in a way that looked slightly more demonic than anything else.

"I said I'll think about it." the professor winced as his voice cracked. He felt like a kid in the school yard with a bunch of kids cornering him for his lunch money.

"How long does it take to think about it? You either want to help out, or you don't." Delia came at him from the other side.

"It's not a matter of my wanting to help or not, of course I want to help. What you're asking me to do though is not going to help anyone."

"How isn't it? It seems like a pretty good idea to me."

"Yeah, and he trusts you." Melinda added.

"Which is exactly why I won't do it. I won't betray him like that!" Eli folded his arms and lifted his head slightly, trying to look a lot braver than he felt, yet failing miserably.

"I'm not asking you to betray him..."

"No, you're just asking me to spy on him."

"I don't think _spy _is the right word..."

"No Melinda," Delia spoke up with a sort of slow importance. "Eli is right. We are asking him to spy on Danny."

Melinda opened her mouth to protest and Eli gave her a rather smug look but before either of them could say anything, Delia held up her hand motioning that she was about to continue. "But it's not a bad thing to do. The kid obviously needs help. Eli, you said yourself that he seemed distant in your car. Hear me out," she ordered as Eli went to say something. "All you have to do is see if you can find anything out about him that might help us help him. Find out about his past, his family, what he is running from and report back to us. Easy.

"Think about it, you'd be helping him so much . You might even help him get back home safe or at least let go of all that anguish you were talking about"

Eli looked down for a second. He didn't want to hurt Danny. It was clear from what Melinda had told him that he had trust issues. If the poor kid found out the man was prising information from him, spying on him just might tip him over the edge and Eli certainly didn't want that to happen. He was about to publish those thoughts when Melinda grabbed his hands and lowered himself onto her knees into an almost begging position.

"Please Eli, do it for me, do it for Danny and the parents that are probably worried sick about him." Eli considered telling the woman that he was pretty sure the loss he had seen in Danny the previous night had been for said parents, but catching the desperate look in her eyes, he thought better of it. Her eyes locked onto his and he could see just how much she worried about Danny and his welfare. She didn't believe that what she was asking him to do was wrong; she just saw it as a brilliant idea to help a lost kid.

_This is going to end badly. _Eli's gaze darted upwards and he sighed deeply.

"I can't believe I am doing this." He mumbled out loud. "Fine. I'll be your little spy."

Melinda jumped up from her spot on the floor and let out a quiet whoop of joy. "Really? You'll do it? Fantastic! And you'll report back to us every day?"

"Uh-huh, but on one condition." Eli spoke clearly, his past hesitation vanishing completely as he stood to his full height, subsequently towering over the two women. Both of them looked at him enquiringly. "If Danny tells me something too private to share, I don't tell you about it. If he asks me not to tell you something, I won't and if there is anything I feel may not be of any help to you, well I think you get the picture."

Melinda looked doubtful causing Delia to speak up for her. "Deal."

* * *

><p>"Aiden, over here! Throw it to me!" a young scrawny kid by the name of Tommy called, enthusiastically waving his arms in the air. Without a second thought, Aiden sent the ball sailing towards his friend. The purple plush ball however seemed to have different ideas as it veered left of the kid and whizzed past him before landing on the floor a few metres behind him. The kids in the circle started laughing and pointing to Tommy.<p>

"Run, run, run!" they chanted in chorus. Little Tommy rolled his eyes dramatically before setting off on his race around the circle, consequence of not catching the ball. Everybody's eyes were on him, everybody's that is, other than Aiden's. The youngster was staring freely at the spot to which the ball had drifted. The young empath smiled as he recognised the presence of his new ghostly playmate. His smile only deepened when he saw a figure form right next to the plush ball. The figure waved.

"I'll go get the ball!" Aiden called out, making a mad dash through the circle and to his friend. When he was out of hearing range, he didn't hold back on his cry of excitement. "Sam!"

"Hey little fella, how are you?" the girl asked softly, her voice echoing slightly.

"I'm great! I'm playing _catch extreme _with my friends. You want to play?" The boy quickly lent down to pick up the ball and pushed it towards her slightly in invitation. Sam just smiled apologetically.

"I don't think I can, little soldier. I actually came here to ask a favour of you; to give you a mission if you like... Think you can talk?" She motioned with her head towards the kids that were still cheering on a slightly breathless Tommy. Looking from Sam, to the ball, to his friends, Aiden signalled that he'd be right back. The boy ran over to the circle and handed the ball to a girl he knew as Becca.

"Hey, I'm not going to be playing any more, 'kay?"

The brunette turned and looked at him, her brown eyes glistening with curiosity. "Uh, okay...?"

Aiden glanced over at Sam, causing Becca to follow his gaze. Her eyes widened a little as she too saw Sam. She then looked back at Aiden and nodded. Without another word the empath dashed back to Sam.

"Who was that?" the ghost asked, her head tilting slightly. Aiden glanced back to the small girl he had spoken to not seconds before.

"Who? Becca?"

"Is that her name? Was it just me or could she see me?" The little boy looked up at Sam, and blinked, taking in her confused expression. All of a sudden, a feeling of superiority overcame the youngster. He knew something an older girl didn't!

"Yes, she could." He replied simply, a smile spreading onto his face.

"How is that?" Sam asked, trying not to let her impatience break through her façade. "Is she like you?"

"No, she just hasn't been told imaginary friends don't exist yet." Aiden was already bored with this game and he motioned for Sam to follow him behind the school building where they wouldn't be overheard. However Sam wasn't quite done with the topic.

"Imaginary friends?"

Aiden sighed and spun around to look at the ghost. "Yes, imaginary friends, the name adults give to the ghosts their kids see."

"So kids see ghosts?" Sam appeared to be stumped by that. It was apparent that it was the first she had ever heard of it. Aiden just nodded. "Then how come the majority of the kids back there didn't?"

"I told you this two seconds ago, their parents told them they weren't real."

"But not Becca's?" Sam frowned. Aiden sighed again.

"Becca's parents are writers." The little boy rolled his eyes as he took in the girl's blank expression. He was _five_ and it was obvious to him! "They think it's cool that she is so imaginative 'cause then maybe she'll grow up to be an 'mazing writer too." A light came on in Sam's eyes as she caught on.

"So they let her believe in her 'imaginary friends' to make her a good writer?"

"No kidding." Aiden slumped down onto the floor, inviting his ghost friend to join him. "So what did you want to talk to me about?"

Sam instantly dropped her thoughts and jumped to the floor in an light and agile way that came with being a spirit.

"Right." The ghost straightened out her skirt in an official sort of way, then moved her hands to her hair and pulled a few stray strands back behind her ears. "I really wanted to talk to you about Danny."

"Danny?" It was Aiden's turn to be confused. What could his ghost friend have to do with Danny?

"Yes. He was... _is _a very good friend of mine." When Aiden didn't respond, Sam continued. "I need you to do an absolutely enormous job for me, do you think you can handle it?"

A grin played itself onto the youngster's face. "I can handle anything!" he cried out enthusiastically.

"Well that's good because, Danny is in a really bad place at the minute and he really really needs a friend to help him out. I can't really be there for him right now, but I was wondering..."

"You want me to be his friend?" Aiden finished for her. Sam nodded, the smile on her face wavering slightly.

"Well that's okay, I can do that! If Danny is in a... 'bad spot'... I want to help." The boy puffed up his chest, trying to make himself more like the soldier Sam kept informing him he was.

"I was hoping you'd say that." Sam's smile returned ten-fold though a little of her previous upset was still haunting her eyes. "So, here's the plan..."

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><p><strong>Chapter 7 ladies and gents. So what did we think? I know it hasn't really been the most action filled adventure but it is a very important one in the development of plot. I hope I didn't bore you too much.<strong>

**Okay, I know I didn't actually get around to responding to all the reviews and I'm sorry about that but there has been an awful lot going on recently and my internet access is basically crap (excuse my language :P)**

**So yeah.**

**Merry Boxing Day everyone! Hope you all had a fantastic Christmas! I know I did *wink*.**

**Mea xxx**


	8. Playmate

**Okay, not exactly the longest chapter in the world, but I thought you guys had waited long enough for it. The checking over of this has consisted of one read through conducted by myself so if you see any errors... blame the site! :P Joke! (...but no, seriously, the site). Heh. Wow, I cannot tell you how much effort and procrastination has gone into this chapter! I have spent literally hours every night, writing and re-writing this awful chapter. (The chapter isn't awful, it has just been so hard for me to write so I consider it to be one of the worst) Unfortunately for you lot, it's more of a filler/plot builder chappie, so no big fight scenes yet. No, I'm saving that for later *evil grin*. -Ahem- So yeah... on with chapter 8!**

**Disclaimer: **Really? This? Again? I own nothing... there I said it... X.X

**Chapter 8:** Playmate

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><p>'<em>And take it steady… And….' <em>_**Thud. **_Danny's feet collided with the floor at such a force, they buckled underneath him, leaving his knees digging into the soil bellow. The boy gave a cry of pain and pure frustration. This was ridiculous! Since when did a few battle wounds zap him so bad, he couldn't even make a clean landing? As if in answer to his question, a stabbing pain shot through his chest.

Just how did normal people do it? Put up with so much pain over such a long period of time? Danny had been suffering for just under a week now and it was_ killing_ him. What use were healing abilities if they didn't work when he needed them most?

Growling slightly, the halfa reached for a branch of the nearest tree and pulled himself up. A few strands of white hair dangled in front of his eyes and the poor kid was sure that, if ghosts could sweat, he'd be a puddle of it about now. Danny's eyes travelled up to the now darkening sky.

Jim had surprised him this morning when he'd asked to spend the day exploring. He'd expected more of a 'Under no circumstances can you leave this house without a mature adult supervising'. Instead, he'd received, 'Sure, why not, get some fresh air.' Well, Danny wasn't going to complain. Freedom wasn't a gift he was going to question. In truth, Danny hadn't really given any more thought to Jim after leaving the house. Sure the man had been acting slightly odd in the kitchen, but he had caused the family quite a bit of stress last night. He couldn't deny feeling a little guilty for that…

The sky was currently a nice blue colour. Of course, being in the wood kind of disrupted the boy's view of said sky but, the higher he looked, the deeper the blue was. That was something Danny had always liked about the sky. It was always free, always changing, but you could always rely on it to be there for you. A small smile crept onto the boy's face. If only he wasn't so badly injured, he could be up there, with the sky. Sometimes, when he was up there, he liked to imagine himself as a cloud, drifting lazily through, able to forget all his worries and fears and just… float.

In an instant, Danny features adapted more of a determined look. Without another thought, he bent his knees slightly and leaped back into the air. He would do this, he would get back into flying, even if it meant staying a few more hours in that wood, he would do it. And with that, he set off.

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><p>"Hey Jim, is Danny home?" Eli couldn't help but feel like a teenager again, standing in the door way of a friend's house, asking his parents, or carers in this case, if he could come out and play. It was a good job the man was so comfortable with the family, else he might have been caught calling Jim <em>'Sir'<em>. It appeared that Jim didn't feel the same way as he just shrugged in a rather relaxed manner and leaned against the doorframe.

"No, I think he went out for an exploratory walk or something." he replied, bringing a hand to his face to hide his yawn. Eli frowned.

"Melinda let him out of the house?" That didn't sound like her. Melinda had always been the overprotective parent type… with just about everyone, even Eli on a few occasions. Jim shot his friend a conspiring smile.

"I won't tell if you won't." A light suddenly went on in Eli's eyes as he realised what was going on.

"My lips are sealed." he whispered back, even miming the whole lock and key thing. "Do you mind if I wait here for him?" He had something he wanted to share with the kid. On his back was a plain brown and white plaid backpack. What was in the bag was a secret, a surprise. Many times had Eli fantasised that day over the look on Danny's face when he opened the bag and saw what the man had gotten for him. It was going to be epic.

"Sure, why not? Make yourself at home." Jim took a step away from the door, allowing his friend to get through. "Coffee?"

"That'd be great thanks." Eli replied, shrugging off his backpack and coat. Jim disappeared into the kitchen area, leaving his guest to hang up his coat on the rack and place his bag down with his shoes. Eli soon moved through into the living room and found a spot on the sofa to settle into. The man couldn't count the amount of times he had been to this house in the seven years he had known Melinda. Every time something ghost related popped up, or even just whenever he felt a little alone, he seemed to be more than welcome in the household. It was like a home away from home. He liked that.

"When did Danny go out then?" he called at a volume he knew Jim would be able to hear.

"About eleven forty." Eli looked down at his watch. _5:30pm_.

"He's been out quite a while then?" Almost six hours was a lot more than a 'while' not that Eli thought for one minute that Danny would have pulled another run away stunt. The man was a shrink, he would have picked something up from the kid in the car last night. He just didn't know how trusting Jim would be.

"Ah, Danny's a good kid. He apologised last night and I know he meant it so I trust him." Jim's voice held no other alteration to that belief, putting a smile on the professor's face. It was nice to know that Jim had picked up on the same vibes as he had from the kid. A few minutes later, Jim entered the room, two steaming mugs in his hands. He slowly handed one of them to Eli, then took his own over to the chair opposite. There was a long moment of companionable silence as the two men sipped at their coffees.

"I'm guessing Melinda performed one of her interrogations on you this morning?" Jim spoke up eventually, a mocking sparkle in his eyes. Eli didn't hide his grimace.

"You bet, I didn't think I was going to make it out of there alive!" he breathed, hand on chest as though reliving the event in his head. Jim laughed.

"Yeah, she does that sometimes." He took another sip of his mug gazing fondly into space.

"And don't I know it."

Jim laughed again. It was true; Eli did normally get the brunt of it, though Melinda had been known to hand it out to a few other people on some occasions. In fact, if he was being honest, Jim himself didn't always dodge the bullet. It just sometimes happened to be the luck of the draw.

"Go on then, give me the low down."

Eli nodded then took a swig of his coffee as if in preparation. "Seriously, I got a text saying she wanted to see me, so I headed over. All I had to do was walk into the door and they were on me," Eli paused a moment. "…Like sharks when they smell blood." He crinkled his nose in a way that clearly displayed his distaste. "How did I meet Danny? How did I get him to relax around me? If he'd told me about his past or why he'd run away and where he'd run from. Does she even _know_ Danny? He's so messed up I doubt he'd tell a soul if his life depended on it."

Jim nodded in agreement to the professor's last statement. It did seem a little farfetched that Danny had told Eli anything about himself, other than maybe hobbies and interests. The two had only known each other for a few minutes, not enough time for life stories to be exchanged.

"I'm guessing you're on Danny duty then?" he asked, knowing the professor would know what he meant.

"Looks like it." Eli responded with a sigh. More silence. Eli's eyes drifted to the window. It was getting darker now, just slightly but dark enough for him to wonder just when Danny was planning on making his grand entrance. Just then he was struck with a sudden thought. "Where are Melinda and Aiden?" If it was nearing six o'clock, shouldn't they have been back by now?

"Oh, Melinda took Aiden to the library. She thinks he has a ghost and that the library is the best place to help it… or something like that, I don't really listen to the details." The doctor shrugged.

Melinda was dealing with a ghost and she hadn't told him about it? That hurt. Eli stared down at his black and white cow-print mug in a failed attempt to hide his displeasure. Fortunately for him, he didn't have to hide it for long as a light knock sounded from the hall. The two men listened as the door creaked open.

"Jim?" Danny's voice called out.

"In here." Eli heard the front door close and the shuffling sounds of a coat being removed. So Danny had actually wrapped up this time? A small smile played on the man's lips as he brought his cup up to his face and took another swig.

A second later, Danny's head popped up in the doorway. A look of surprise crossed the kid's face as he saw his friend stretched out on the sofa before him.

"Eli!"

The professor smiled and lifted his hand in greeting. "Hey buddy."

"What are you doing here?" Danny's eyes moved from Eli to Jim and back again, clearly confused by the situation.

"I came to see you, hang out, _chillax._" With the last word, Eli sliced a hand through the air in what he was convinced looked a cool, smooth, hip kind of way. Danny didn't say a word. He looked back at Jim.

The man put his hands up to show his lack of involvement and the kid's eyes moved again. Within a heartbeat, he broke into a smile, apparently happy with the explanation. Eli couldn't help but notice how the boy's shoulders suddenly dropped and his whole stance become more relaxed. He gazed over at Jim and knew that he had noticed it too. By the look on the man's face, Eli was rather convinced that Jim hadn't actually seen Danny smile before. He'd missed out.

"Define: _'Chillax'_." The boy challenged, his eyes narrowing slightly. Eli grinned mischievously then stood up and walked past Danny, moving into the hall. His hands found his backpack and taking a deep breath he picked it up, arms straining from the effort. He then slumped back into the living room and plonked himself onto the sofa, bag still in hand. By this point, Danny's curiosity had piped up and he watched, eagle eyed over Eli's shoulder hoping to catch a glimpse of this mystery item.

Eli pulled it out.

"An X-box? Really?" Danny blinked then rubbed at his eyes as though he daren't believe them. There, in Eli's lap was a sleek new black X-box 360, still in its casing. A proud smile stole Eli's face as he too looked down at it.

"What do you think?" he asked eventually, tearing his eyes from his incredible gift to look up at Danny. The poor kid didn't know what to say. Whatever he had been expecting, it wasn't this. His mouth opened and closed, slightly resembling a guppy fish. Eli laughed.

"That good?" All Danny could do, was nod his head, blinking repeatedly. Even Jim was sat staring, looking more and more like a kid forced to watch others eating chocolate, with only an apple to console him.

"Right. Before you two get started on that, I want to clean up your injuries again." Jim gave Danny a pointed look. The boy had refused his help this morning, claiming that it was fine and he'd sort it out later. The doctor hadn't pressed, knowing he probably wouldn't be able to change the kid's mind. But now he had Eli, and Eli seemed to know what to do when it came to Danny which was more than could be said for anyone else.

The kid looked up at him, face creasing slightly in distaste. "No, you really don't have to…"

"Yes, I do. Having that bandaging on for too long is almost as bad as covering yourself in a layer of dirt." Danny started to protest again and Jim turned his eyes to Eli in a silent plea for help. Eli sighed.

"Danny, I think Jim knows what he's talking about. Tell you what, you get sorted out, and I'll set this up in your room." The man tapped the box lightly, winking at Danny. The kid's defences suddenly crumbled and a small smile tugged at his lips.

"Okay, whatever." He mumbled, fighting to show his unhappiness with the situation but failing miserably. Jim smiled and shot Eli a thank you look which the taller man just shrugged off. The doctor then placed his mug down on the table before him and stood up.

"Come on, it'll be over before you know it." With that he led Danny out of the room and up the stairs.

* * *

><p>"Mommy? Are you okay?" Aiden asked innocently, turning in his car seat to look at his mother's face. No, no she was not okay. She had just been completely humiliated by a fourteen year old ghost-girl in front of her five year old son! Where was the okay in that?<p>

The two had turned up in the library, looking for this 'Sam' girl about an hour ago. Aiden had instantly found his ghostly friend in the reference section, scanning the shelves, apparently looking for something to read. The girl had been fine until she had seen Melinda. Seriously, the transformation was unbelievable. She had instantly gone from warm and welcoming, to cool and calculating. It was ridiculous. What was so bad about Melinda that this kid felt she had to scowl at her whenever she got the chance? It was her who pointed her to Danny in the first place… kind of.

"Yeah, I'm okay." The woman forced what she hoped was a convincing smile onto her face.

Melinda had tried to get Sam to talk to her about Danny but the ghost had just thrown it back in her face. What was it with ghosts and attitude problems? What was it about Danny's past that was such a big secret? It didn't make any sense. Well, at least he hadn't run away again today. Jim would have phoned. Melinda shook her head, trying to rid herself of any thoughts of Danny. They had plagued her all day. Couldn't she have two minutes _without _worrying about the kid? She would probably see him in three anyway.

"Mmm… okay." Aiden looked back out of the window. Melinda could tell that he was still worried about her, but there was nothing she could really say to prevent that; she was too frustrated. The woman pulled onto her street.

She blinked. There was a sleek looking black car in her drive.

"Uncle Eli!" Aiden called out, recognising the car before his mum did. The mother soon made the connection. A genuine smile formed on her face. If Eli was here, then Danny was okay. Feeling comforted by this knowledge, she pulled up in front of the garden gate and unclipped her seatbelt. Her passenger did the same and swung open his door, running to the house.

"Aiden, slow down!" Melinda called over in vain. The door was already open by the time Melinda had locked up the car and made her way through the garden. She looked up to see Aiden seated comfortably in his father's arms. She rolled her eyes.

"Hey." The mother grinned, coming into the house and closing the door behind her.

"Hey." Jim repeated. His eyes locked onto hers. There was a moment of quiet.

"Where's Danny?" Aiden asked loudly, breaking the silent conversation the lovers were sharing. Jim tore his eyes away from Melinda and looked down at his son.

"Danny is upstairs with Uncle Eli. No little kids allowed I'm afraid." he answered, winking. He then leant down and placed the boy on the ground. "Tell you what, your arts and crafts things are in the kitchen, why don't you go and draw me a picture of that new friend you've been telling me so much about."

"Okay!" Within the space of a second, Aiden was gone. Jim instantly took the opportunity to close the distance between him and his wife, wrapping her in his strong embrace. Their lips met.

They stood like that, kissing, for almost a minute before Melinda finally pulled away.

"I missed you too." she whispered, a slight smile dancing on her lips. Jim smiled back.

"Good." The man lifted a hand and lightly pushed a strand of hair out of her face. The connection between them was almost visible.

If there was one person that could always make Melinda happy, it was Jim. Just being near him lifted her heart. She felt so lucky and she knew he felt the same. It seemed the two minutes Melinda had wanted free from worries about Danny had just been achieved.

…Speaking of Danny.

"How's he been?" the woman asked, still unable to remove the smile from her face. Jim continued to stare down at her and Melinda was almost convinced that he didn't hear her.

"He's been fine. Eli came around a little while ago and all I've heard since from them is giggles. I think they're enjoying themselves." As if to prove the man's statement, the sound of Eli's signature laughter drifted down the stairs. Melinda squinted in the direction of Danny's room as though she could see through the walls.

"Just what are they doing up there?" Amusement conquered her expression as she turned back to look at her husband.

"Eli bought Danny an X-box and they're up there playing it." There was something in Jim's voice that made Melinda's smile deepen.

"You're jealous!" She jabbed her finger in the doctor's chest and made a point of getting that little bit closer to him.

"I am not!" the man retorted. The small smile on his face was enough to convince Melinda otherwise.

"You are too! I see that look in your eye. You want to be up there don't you; joining in the fun? You're like a little kid, you know that right?"

"Oh really?" Jim apparently took that as a challenge. He grabbed his wife's wrists and pressed her up against the wall, holding her hands above her. He then leant down and planted a kiss hard upon her lips. "What about now?"

"You do realise I can't move?" Melinda quipped, not exactly complaining.

"That's the whole point." Jim kissed her again.

"Uh… Dad?" Aiden's voice sounded from behind the man. The two lovers instantly froze, staring at each other in shock. It took them a few seconds to regain the ability to move and once they did, it was as though someone had just zapped them with a Taser. Jim instantly dropped Melinda's arms and spun around to look at his son whilst Melinda raised a hand to straighten her hair as though the moment the two had spent together had somehow messed it up.

"Aiden, I thought you were in the kitchen drawing?" Jim asked, his voice cracking slightly. Aiden blinked.

"I was… I finished my picture…" The youngster held up his hand to show a crayon drawing of a girl dressed in black, purple and green. Melinda rested a hand on her partner's shoulder.

"You two have fun; I'm going to go check on Danny and Eli." They exchanged silent goodbyes before Melinda drifted up the stairs.

It didn't take her long to hear the sounds of a video game blasting through the walls of Danny's room. As she reached the door, she pressed her ear against it.

"No, you're kidding me. _Again_?" Eli's voice rang out from the room.

"You snooze you lose, old man." Danny joked back. Melinda beamed as she listened to the two of them laugh. She then knocked on the door.

"Come in!" Eli called, laughter still in his voice. The woman slowly opened the door and popped her head through. Danny was laid out on his stomach, surrounded by the quilt on his bed, some sort of gaming remote in his hands. Eli, on the other hand, was sat in front of the bed, leaning on it for support. He too had a controller.

"Hey guys, it's just me, came to see what you're up to." the woman spoke softly, smiling warmly at them both. Eli smiled back and even Danny managed a tilt of the lips.

"We're officially X-boxing." Eli replied, showing of his controller.

"And I'm officially, winning." Danny shot Eli a smirk.

"Cheater." the man murmured.

"Hey, I heard that."

"You were supposed to, you big cheat!"

A pillow quickly found itself in Eli's face and both boys burst out laughing.

Melinda grinned to herself. It really was like watching two brothers that had known each other all their lives. Not wanting to corrupt the mood too much by staying any longer, she turned to go.

"Dinner will be served in about an hour. Would you like to join us, Eli?" she questioned, looking him over.

"Ooh, that'd be great thanks!" the man responded, sending a wink in Danny's direction.

"Brilliant, I'll call you when it's ready." Waving, she then exited the room, careful to close the door behind her.

The smile was still on her face by the time she got downstairs. She didn't know what she was worrying about. Danny was fine. More than fine actually. She would definitely thank Eli for that later. Moving into the kitchen, a single thought crossed her mind.

'_Maybe Danny will be better off with us after all.'_

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><p><em><em>**So, what do you think? This has definitely been the hardest chapter for me to write and I really hope it has been up to standard, you all deserve it. (93 REVIEWS!) Wow guys, your support is absolutely phenomenal! Thank you all soo much. Unfortunately, the down side to so many reviews is, I lose track and forget who I have replied to and who I haven't so I'm really sorry if I missed you out, I can't promise it won't happen again because it probably will... so yeah...**

**I am actually hoping to get chapter 9 out faster than I have been updating recently, it may not be in the next couple of weeks as I actually have 3 exams next week (Soo nervous!) but it will be sooner!**

**Hey, just as a useless bit of trivia for you, can anyone guess what my weakest subject is? Cookies to anyone who gets it right! (Yep that's right, I'm sinking as low as cookies now :P ... mmm... cookies...) The answer will be revealed next update! Happy guessing! :D**

**Thanks for everything!**

**Iymea xxx**


	9. Danny Gets a Job

**So you remember I said this was going to be a faster update and it wasn't? Yeah... sorry about that. Time just seems to hate me on occasions like these. Behind the scenes info on chapter 9... It was hard. Heh, when isn't it?**

**Disclaimer: **I own Penguin-suit Guy... that's about it... *Sigh*

**Chapter 9:** Danny Gets a Job.

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><p><em>Pain.<em>

_The one thought that consumed the boy's head._

_It wasn't the pain inflicted upon him by those government creeps. No, it was worse. He had lost them. It seemed like the gaping holes in his chest had somehow reached his heart and tore it out._

_Danny was flying, that much he knew. His whole being was shaking and again, not from his wounds. They were gone… He was never going to see them again, they were no longer a part of his life and all of it was his fault. He should have been in that explosion, not them. They did nothing wrong._

_The images of the stricken fear on his family's faces haunted him, plaguing his mind wherever he turned. Then… those words…_

'I'm still here; that means _you_ still turn into _me_.'

_No! That wasn't true, Danny would _never _turn into that monster, it was the last promise he had made to his family and he wasn't about to break it. He _couldn't_. _

_Despite his desperation, there was a deep fear within him. What if it just came over him? What if he couldn't control it? What if, through all his pain…. He _welcomed _it? That was his biggest fear of all._

_The boy was flying high above Logansport, Indiana when he finally decided to land. He was weak, hungry and his head hurt. He wasn't really sure where he was or what he really expected from the place; he was too tired to ask questions._

_He slowly walked into the nearest hotel._

"_Can I help you, darling?" a weary looking receptionist asked. She was tall and thin and had a nose that looked as though it could pop a football. Her beady eyes scanned over him as though he was something nasty she had just trodden on._

"_I'd like a room please." Danny murmured, too tired to care._

"_I'm sorry, I'd be happy to help but you don't look as though you could afford it." She certainly didn't sound sorry. Danny realised what he must look like. She thought he was just another street urchin out for a free bed. The boy frowned and was just about to argue when it hit him. She was __right. On his hurried attempt to get out of Amity, he had forgotten to pick up any money. Patting his pockets as though he hoped something would just materialise, the kid realised something else._

_This was it. There was no going back. He was homeless, he had no money. He had nothing. A swell of despair consumed his being. Sighing, he looked up at the frightful woman._

"_Whatever." he whispered, too choked up to speak any louder. He turned and left._

* * *

><p>Danny's eyes flickered open and he found himself staring up at a whitewashed ceiling. The dream was still fresh in his mind and he knew it would be for the majority of the morning. Twisting in his bed, the boy looked at his clock. 7:20am.<p>

The halfa groaned. It was way too early to be getting up on a... Friday?

Instantly, Danny sat up. It was Friday...

A week since the accident. A choking sound from the kid's throat was quick to remind him of his necessity to breathe.

Pealing back the covers, Danny stood up and moved over to his window. His family had been gone for a week. In all truth, the boy hadn't expected to last this long. He had expected to wilt away in his own sorrow, stuck in a ditch somewhere where no one would ever find him. How wrong he turned out to be. The flicker of a smile passed his face as he remembered last night.

Eli had stayed for dinner. Danny was surprised with how close he seemed to be to the family. Aiden even called him 'Uncle Eli'. The only unrelated person Danny had ever had to call 'Uncle' was... Vlad. The boy shuddered. Thankfully Eli was nothing like Plasmius.

The family was lucky to have such an amazing friend. Of course he hadn't told anyone that... That would have been a weird conversation.

A light knock at the door snagged the boy from his thoughts.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Danny, it's Melinda. Can I come in?" the woman's muffled voice floated through the door.

"Uh, sure," he answered, watching as the door slowly slid open. Melinda stood in the doorway. She was dressed in a pale pink lace night gown, poofy pink slippers consuming her feet. Her hair looked as though it had been granted the briefest of brushes, with strands flying about all over the place. As if noticing his gaze, she shrugged.

"I'll sort it out later." The mother moved further into the room.

Danny suddenly felt self-conscious as he realised just how little he was actually wearing. He had been handed a full pair of pyjamas the previous day, plain blue and woollen. They were perfectly nice and seriously warm, but the top had snagged on his bandaging, so Danny had opted for the topless route. Mercifully he was still wearing the trousers. The boy subconsciously raised a hand to his chest, his embarrassment showing in his cheeks.

If Melinda noticed, she didn't say anything. "I just wanted to see if you were up," she explained softly. "Jim's making breakfast and he wanted to know if you would like to join us."

Danny's initial response was to say no. Despite the family's kindness and compassion towards him, he was still weary. He didn't really know these people, he had no idea what 'ulterior motives' they may have and admittedly, that scared the hell out of him.

It was only the memory of Eli that stopped him in his tracks. Eli, the psychology professor. The man who probably knew a lot more about some people than they did themselves, all by just talking to them. Danny couldn't really describe the instant trust he felt towards him but it was there, and if Eli thought Melinda and Jim were good people to be around, Danny would have to believe that as well.

After a second's more thought, Danny nodded.

"That would be great, thanks."

Melinda smiled back at him. "I'll go tell him then." She stayed there looking at him for a moment before turning and making her way out of the room. Danny stood staring a long while after she had gone.

There it was again. That odd connection he felt towards her, as though they were being pulled together. He didn't know what it was and he would be lying if he said it didn't freak him out just a little. The boy blinked a few times before he managed to tear his gaze from the now-closed door.

With a quick glance back at the window, he moved over to the fresh pile of clothes that had been left next to the TV on the dresser.

* * *

><p>By the time Danny reached the kitchen, breakfast was already on the table. If there was one thing that fascinated the boy more than anything about this family, it was the amount of hot breakfasts they had weekly. Back at home, he would normally be stuck with a bowl of cereal. That is, if he didn't want to be eaten alive by the bacon or whatever. This was somewhat of a nice change.<p>

"Hi, Danny!" Aiden called when he spotted the teen. The younger boy was already tucking into his pancakes, wearing that grin that Danny had seen so much of. The boy's call of welcome was enough to catch the adults' attention and they turned to look at the fully-clothed Danny.

"Hi," the teen responded sheepishly, a hand reaching behind his neck instinctively.

"Good morning. I think Aiden has sat you next to him. I hope you don't mind." Jim gestured to the chair beside the youngster, shooting Danny an apologetic smile. The teen just smiled back and shrugged.

"It's okay with me." He quietly made his way to the nominated chair. Taking a look around the table the boy observed the family. Melinda was sat across from him, yawning before she took another bite of her breakfast. Jim was sitting next to her and Danny didn't fail to notice the way his body tilted slightly towards hers. A big difference: Jim was dressed whereas Aiden and his mum weren't. Aiden was wearing the same rocket ship pjs Danny had seen him in the other night and Melinda looked just the same as she had when she'd come into his room that morning. It all seemed so... comfortable.

Wasting no more time, the teen picked up his cutlery and started eating.

"So what has everyone got planned for today then?" Jim asked conversationally.

Aiden was straight in there. "Me and my friends are going to play 'Catch Extreme' in the playground and Tommy's going to have to run around the circle again 'cause he can't catch the ball even though he wants to and he's always calling for it and Mrs Hall is always saying that if he was in a baseball team the team would get minus points in all of the games and Tommy just laughs and says that they'll win 'cause they'll have more minus points than everyone else and then..."

The teen and Aiden's parents just sat and patiently waited for the youngster to run out of steam. By the time he had, Jim had already finished his pancakes. Danny took a swig of the water that had been put out for him before he had come down.

"Sounds like fun." Jim replied evenly. He wore a huge smile that Danny knew only too well to be the smile a father only ever used to show love to his son. Frowning slightly, the teen shook his head. No. He would not think of those things right now.

"Mel?" The husband turned to his wife, waiting for her input.

"Work and a nice coffee, as per usual." She spoke with a smile, her eyes narrowed ever so slightly with affection. Geez, was that all there was to this family? Love? A sense of longing overwhelmed him, causing him to cough.

"What about Danny?" Melinda asked, breaking the teen out of his thoughts.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that..." The kid took another swig of his water. He couldn't believe he was doing this. "I wondered if there was anything I might be able to do for you in your store. I feel a bit like a loose end around here and I think it might... you know... give me something to occupy myself with..." In truth, he felt guilty. Here he was, eating their food, sleeping in their house, causing them worry. The only way he could think to pay them back was to help out a bit and since his expertise in housecleaning was extremely limited his only remaining option was work. Although the thought made the teen shiver, if it was going to rid him of guilt, he was happy with it.

It took Danny a while to realise that the two adults were staring at him. He blinked.

"What?"

His gaze travelled between them. Jim was sat with an odd looking smile on his face that seemed almost impressed. Melinda on the other hand, had her cutlery hovering over her food, halted in mid-action as though Danny's words had somehow disconnected the part of her brain that allowed her to move. Her eyes were wide and unblinking.

It was Jim who eventually broke the tense silence that had enveloped the table.

"Well I think that sounds like a reasonable proposition," he commented with a wink directed at Danny. "Melinda?" When she didn't answer, he lent over a little and nudged her with his elbow. At his touch, the woman broke out of her trance-like state.

"It's definitely okay with me," she declared, once she had finally managed to gain control of her vocal chords. "Friday's normally a quick day though, so it may be a little overwhelming for you."

Danny might have taken that as an insult if the mother hadn't sounded so concerned. As it was he found himself flashing her an encouraging smile. "Thanks for the warning, but I'm sure I'll manage."

"I'm sure you will." Melinda mirrored his smile. Danny breathed a sigh of relief, glad that he had gotten that part of the morning out of the way.

It didn't take long for everyone to finish their food and Danny made a point of staying to help Jim clean up whilst Aiden and Melinda got ready. The boy could tell his attempt to fit in with the family had bettered the father's view of him and he got the feeling that all was forgiven from the other night. That was always good.

"It's really nice of you to help Melinda at the store today," Jim commented, handing Danny a plate to dry. The teen shrugged.

"It's nothing, really."

"Mmm? So you're saying that working in a store, full of people from nine in the morning to five in the evening, is nothing?" The doctor raised a challenging eyebrow.

"Er... I guess it depends on your definition of nothing," Danny finally retorted. It was a poor argument but the only thing he could think of under pressure. The line however seemed to deeply amuse the older male as another impressed grin appeared on his face.

"Nice." A simple compliment that instantly informed Danny that the man wasn't convinced. They continued their selected chores in silence for a moment.

"How did your exploratory walk go yesterday then?" Jim asked, seemingly eager to form conversation. Danny stared down at the plate in his hands. In truth, he wasn't really that sure what to make of Jim. He seemed kind enough, but there were moments when he was slightly... off. Take the previous morning, for example. Just what had the man been doing that he had felt the need to hide what was on his computer screen from the teen? Danny had instructed himself to forget all about it but it was something easier said than done. He could always ask Jim outright. However, in doing that, he would instantly show his distrust and insecurities with the grown members of the household. He didn't want to insult anyone. Deciding it would be best to at least attempt a conversation with Jim, he placed the plate down on the side.

"It went well. I now know how to get into town, which is always helpful." Danny attempted a smile but it sort of failed and came out as more of a lopsided grimace. Fantastic. Jim laughed slightly.

"Planning on leaving us so soon?" He quipped, passing the teen a soapy glass.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Oddly enough, Danny was being truthful. Although it was true that he was weary around the family, the thought of going solo again was enough to make the teen feel physically ill. Here, he had a warm bed, a seemingly endless supply of cooked breakfasts and at least one person he could call a friend. Jim seemed to pick up on this.

"Good, because I don't think I could deal with another night of Mel's pacing. It's seriously maddening." With that last thought, the man grabbed a towel from a nearby drawer and dried his hands. Just like that, they had finished.

"Job well done," Jim commented taking a step back as though to observe a masterpiece. A hint of a genuine smile showed on Danny's face as he watched the man. The doctor was really starting to grow on him. Before he got a chance to dwell on the thought, Melinda walked in with Aiden tagging along behind her, school bag in hand.

The woman was wearing a lacy white shirt with embroidered yellow and pink flowers decorating the neckline and jeans. Aiden on the other hand supported a plain red T-shirt with black-grey jeans and a black jacket. What was with the whole fashion show look this family always seemed to go with? Danny could understand Melinda, and maybe even Aiden, under her influence. But the whole family? The teen shook his head.

"We're ready if you are." The mother beamed encouragingly, instantly reminding the teen of the child behind her.

"Yup." He nodded, showing just how ready he was.

"Let's go then." Within the space of a second, Melinda was by her husband's side, embracing him lovingly. Danny turned away as they kissed each other goodbye. After a while, the two separated and the woman led the teen and Aiden out of the door and into her car.

It didn't take Melinda and Danny long to drop Aiden off at school. As soon as Melinda made sure he got there safely the two of them set off to the store.

Danny didn't really know how to feel about 'The Same as it Never Was.' It was the place where he had first met Melinda, the first place he had actually received an ounce of warmth from another person since he left Amity. But there was also this sort of... odd attraction he felt towards the place. It was similar to the one he felt whenever he was around Melinda only darker and certainly not as comforting. It felt like he was being called to the place by something... ominous. As stupid as he thought the idea was, nothing he could do would shake it off. It was just... there.

Melinda pulled up across the street.

"You sure you want to do this?" she asked, searching the kid's face for any uncertainty.

"Yeah, I've done worse." Of course Danny's thoughts were on his short time working as a giant bug for the Nasty Burger. Working in an antiques store in all his own... well Jim's... clothes had to be better than that. A short pang in his heart told him not to dwell on the thought any longer.

"I can turn around and take you back right now if you like." If it wasn't Melinda talking, Danny may have just snapped. How many times did he have to say that he was okay and that he wanted to do this? Apparently, quite a few.

"Trust me." Danny undid his seatbelt and moved his hand over to the inner door handle. "I can do this." Without another word, he exited the car. Melinda was left staring over at his form moving over to the store and waiting by the door. Yes, the woman was slightly worried. It had dawned on her that she had never really had a conversation with her guest that lasted more than a few minutes. She had no idea what spending the whole day with him was going to be like. Of course she wanted to get to know the boy but... well let's face it. What was she going to talk to him about? He was fourteen! Not to mention, the kid's track record showed he wasn't really the most open and talkative of people.

Taking a deep breath in preparation, Melinda got out of the car. It didn't take her long to make her way to Danny and open up the store. She then walked to behind the counter and lay her keys down on its surface. It was only after all of that that she gained the confidence to look over her new volunteer. Danny was standing, his eyes doing a full inspection of the store and all its items. His hands were rather uncomfortably stuffed into his pockets and his shoulders were hitched in a way that told the mother that she wasn't the only one feeling awkward.

"Would you like a drink? Tea? Coffee?" Melinda finally spoke up, maybe a little louder than necessary. Danny's gaze met hers.

"Nah, I'm good thanks." He shrugged then looked down at the front counter. "So, what now?"

"Now, you sit here and wait for any customers and I'll go into the basement and bring up the antiques we need to try and sell today." The shop owner leaned against the counter in a way that was almost challenging. "Think you can handle that?"

The gleam in her eye was enough to tell Danny he was being played with. He smirked, somehow instantly reassured. "Blindfolded," he shot back, taking a seat on the antique sofa behind him. Melinda grinned.

"Good, I'll be right back." And with that, she disappeared through the back door into the basement.

The halfa sighed before continuing his examination of the room. The whole shop seemed to be coated with decorations. As it was an antiques store, everything blended in and gave off a kind of warm, cosy feel. Glass sculptures sat alongside rusting military gear, tatty dolls alongside beautifully crafted ornaments. Yet despite the vast diversity in the room, everything seemed to belong. Danny's eyes skimmed over one of the shelves. On the side closest to him lay a dream-catcher like charm. The intricate web of blue and silver that made up the charm was truly awe-inspiring. Right beside that, a small, purple, decorated music box. Danny instantly recognised it as Russian, due to the fact that not even a year ago, Mr Lancer had made the class write a whole twelve page essay on music boxes from around the world. Completely pointless from Danny's point of view but it was _apparently _supposed to help the class with their 'investigation skills'.

A flash of silver on the end of the shelf was quick to captivate the halfa's attention. Intrigued, he stood and made his way over to the glistening object. Danny had never really found antiques or jewellery very interesting. They were nothing but bits of scrap metal, well, that or they were just really, really old.

He had no idea what compelled him to get a closer look. Maybe he was just humouring Melinda and her clear obsession with all things antique. He might as well try to _look_ interested.

As he neared the shelf he saw that the little sparkle that had attracted his eye was in fact a small, silver bracelet. The boy scoffed. As if he'd actually hoped for something interesting.

The thing looked filthy. The outer ring was coated in rust and dirt, he had no idea how it had caught enough light to shine in his eyes. Even the small whitish-grey jewel that sat in the centre of the thing looked dull.

Thinking nothing of it, Danny picked the scrappy thing up, if for no other reason than to prove to himself just how worthless it was.

He wasn't holding it for more than a second before it clattered to the floor.

What the...?

Danny stared down at his right hand in disbelief, bringing up his left to massage it. After a few moments he frowned and knelt down beside the fallen trinket. Filled with uncertainty, he brushed the thing with a shaky finger.

There it was again; that warm tingling sensation. It seemed to start whenever he made contact with the bracelet. The only way he could think to describe it was... as though he had submerged his hand into hot water. The longer he held it, the further up his arm the heat spread. It was like nothing he had ever felt before.

Feeling brave, he picked it up again and rose. Danny turned the trinket over in his hand and took a closer look.

It wasn't long before he realised that what he had previously assumed to be rust was actually an inscription.

"What are you?" he muttered thoughtfully.

_'Animus, Vires, Tutela.' _

Definitely not English. So what was it? Some sort of enchantment?

"_'Animus, Vires, Tutela.', _never really understood what it meant myself."

Danny spun on the spot, startled by the new voice.

It happened as though in slow motion. His elbow caught a small, glass ballerina balanced delicately on the shelf he had picked the bracelet from. He watched in horror as the priceless ornament fell to the floor with unnatural grace and kissed the floor before shattering into thousands of pieces.

The boy went cold. He quickly dropped to the floor and inspected the wreckage. "Aw, crud," he whispered, panicking. So much for proving himself. There was no way Melinda would let him stay now. If she did she certainly wouldn't let him come again.

"Oops. Sorry about that. My bad."

Oh. Right. Yes. The woman. Danny looked up, appalled at himself for forgetting the reason he'd broken the darn antique in the first place. Standing in front of him was a rather large woman dressed in a white shirt, black trousers and a black blazer. Her hair was scraped back from her face in a tight ponytail, highlighting her heart shaped face perfectly. But the thing that stood out most for Danny, despite all his other evaluations: she wasn't holding any ghost weapons.

The teen stood up, gazing at her with suspicion. The woman, however, appeared completely oblivious to Danny's discomfort.

"Are you buying for a girlfriend or a sister or...?"

"Wha...?" Danny looked down at his right hand, realising he was still holding the bracelet. Suddenly, the heat from it became unbearable. In his desperation to stop the pain, the teen all but threw the scruffy thing back onto its shelf. "No. I was just looking." He bit his lip and turned away.

"Danny! Are you okay? I heard something smash!" Melinda dashed into the room, examining Danny in concern.

"Yeah... sorry... I kinda... broke something." The teen let his eyes fall on the shattered ballerina. It didn't take the shop owner to follow his gaxe. However, it wasn't the ornament that she focused on.

"Delia, hey, I thought you said you couldn't come around today." The two woman embraced, confusing Danny. These two knew each other?

"Yeah, I know. But I found something out about..." Delia glanced over at the overwhelmed boy before looking back at Melinda and shooting her a significant look. "That thing you asked me and I came straight away. Ned would have come but he's a little tied up with his new girlfriend at the minute." The woman shuddered at the thought. Danny guessed this 'Ned' person was a relative of hers. A son maybe?

Now it was true the teen could be a little clueless at times, but even he wasn't so bad as to miss the fact that they were talking about something he wasn't supposed to know. He couldn't really protest, acknowledging all the secrets he was keeping from them, but he couldn't help but feel ever so slightly irritated.

"Oh... er... Danny. I think I left some boxes downstairs. Would you go and get them for me please?" The honey sweet voice Melinda put on for this request was almost offensive. Glaring slightly at the floor, Danny sighed.

"What about your ornament?"

The woman looked at the shards of glass decorating the floor, for the first time really _seeing _it. There was a moment of indecisive silence before she moved he gaze to Danny and smiled.

"Ah, don't worry about it, we all break things now and again. I'll clean it up, you just go get those boxes."

Unfortunately for Melinda, this just disgusted Danny all the more. What was so important about what Delia had to say that meant Melinda didn't even give him a scolding look for breaking something valuable? Growling silently, the teen complied with her wish and disappeared into the hall.

Melinda sighed. "So what was it you wanted to tell me?"

* * *

><p>Okay, so he'd had a major wound to his pride. It'd happened before. What was so special about this time? Just because he thought Melinda had started to think of him as more of an adult than a little kid. That was nothing, right?<p>

Danny inhaled deeply, trying to relieve the resentment that burned inside him. Why couldn't she have just said she wanted to talk to Delia alone for a little while? Why did she have to talk to him like he was about five? Boxes? Really? Was that the best she could do?

Well, if it was solitude they wanted, it was solitude they were going to get. The teen heavily plonked himself down on one of the chairs in the dusty basement. So this wasn't the most ideal place to hang out for a while, but so far, it was his only option. He could, of course, go flying or something like that to release some of his frustration but the thought of Melinda looking for him down here and then catching him out was enough to put him off. _Normal_ people didn't just disappear into thin air.

The boy tugged at his blue sweatshirt, not liking how cold it was in here.

"_Danny..._" Danny blinked. Did someone just say his name? Glancing around the room wearily, the halfa pulled the sweatshirt tighter around himself.

"_Danny..." _There it was again. More than a little creeped out, the boy stood.

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

"_Danny..."_

"Okay, whoever you are, this isn't funny." Danny's gaze fixed on the point he knew the voice was coming from and he took a step forward.

"_Danny..."_

The boy drew all the closer, determined not to show an ounce of fear. "How do you know my name?"

"_Danny..."_ It was then he saw it. The hole in the wall. Big enough to walk through without bashing his head. The halfa stopped instinctively, unsure of whether or not to continue.

"_Danny..."_

Okay, that settled it. Danny took a few more steps towards the hole.

Before he could go any further, however, a familiar icy wisp escaped from his now partially open mouth.

"I would not go in there if I were you."

Danny released a breath he wasn't aware he had been holding. The boy turned slowly to face a rather tall ghost. The man was dressed formally in a black tuxedo and his hair was slicked back in such a way, it looked as though he had painted his head a glossy brown colour. There was something else about the way he spoke that seemed a little odd.

"What's with the penguin suit?" the halfa asked, seeming completely relaxed around the deceased man. The ghost's thin lips twisted upwards into what could only be described as an arrogant smirk.

"You like it? I chose it myself." There it was again! That weird quirk in speech that Danny was sure wasn't normal. Deciding he didn't like this, he turned his back on the weirdo and looked back into the hole in the wall.

"Why shouldn't I go in? What's in there?"

In a blink of an eye, the ghost was by the boy's side, also peering into the tunnel's dark depths.

"Ghosts," he replied simply.

"Ghosts?" Danny shot the man a bland look. "You're telling me I shouldn't go in there... because of _ghosts_?"

The guy took a step back and nodded. "That is exactly what I am telling you."

Scoffing, Danny shook his head. "In case you hadn't noticed, I'm not exactly afraid of ghosts."

"Ah yes. The legendary bravery of Master Phantom. Ooh, I am getting chills." The ghost jumped back to the other side of the basement.

"Legendary? What are you talking about?" Almost unconsciously, the boy took a step away from the tunnel. Then a thought hit him. "Hang on, how do you know my name?"

The man just laughed in that arrogant way of his and appeared right behind Danny, whispering in his ear:

"Don't go into the tunnels." With that, he was gone.

Why did ghosts always have to be so darn annoying? Danny glared back at the hole in the wall, deep in thought.

He didn't have to listen to that creep; he could do whatever he wanted. Go into a tunnel filled with ghosts? Piece of cake. What was there to worry about?

"_Danny..."_

On the other hand, Melinda needed help upstairs. Danny picked up a couple of boxes and made for the stairs faster than you could say 'boo'.

* * *

><p><strong>Does anyone else just love that word? 'Boo'. EPIC! Soooo... what do you think? It's not one of my favourites but it's okay I guess.<strong>

**Thank you Windsurf for working all your beta-ing magic. And thanks to all of my amazing reviewers. You rock! :)**

**xX-Mea-Xx**

**Ps. Thanks to everyone who guessed! Even if you got it wrong, have a cookie, you're awesome enough :P. It's physics by the way, or science, either one would have sufficed. Cookies for everyone! :D**


	10. Memories Hurt

**Hey. I _feel_ like I should give you, like, two hundred excuses here as to why this update is so late. However, instead, I'm going to give you two words. Exam revision.**

**Sorry x**

**So yes, this is the unbeta-d chapter 10. (Oh, for anyone that doesn't know what a brown thrasher is, it's a bird.)**

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but the plot.

**Chapter**** 10:** Memories Hurt.

* * *

><p>The window to Danny's bedroom lay open, just a crack. The pale blue curtains danced lightly on the breeze coming in, with grace enough to rival that of a ballerina. Danny was no where to be seen. He'd left a while back on one of his outdoor expeditions. No one had touched the room since. No one alive any how.<p>

A delicate, pink hand reached out and caressed the photo Danny normally kept secure under his pillow. The person to whom the hand belonged, sat silently on the halfa's bed, fighting against her desolate emotions. Did she blame Danny for her death? Not a chance. Danny wasn't a bad person; he had tried to save them all, not destroy them. She couldn't believe for one minute that her friend was evil, nor would she ever accuse him of holding even an ounce of malice. She loved him.

Sam sighed as she tore her gaze from the image before her. Her number one desire was to run up to Danny and scream at him: 'I'm here! Danny, you're not alone, I'm right here!'. It was all she wanted to embrace him and never let go. But she couldn't.

_The odd thing about destiny, is that you can't do a thing to alter it. You can twist it and mould it in whatever way you want but, interfere directly and the whole of existence could suffer._

If it weren't for those darn 'Laws of Time', she'd be with him right now, consoling him, confessing to him her love for him and her need to stay by his side. As it stood, she was condemned to keep her distance, help out as much as she could, without interfering directly. A task easier said than done.

The ghost looked down at the picture once again. Oh, how she remembered that day. The summer sun beating down on the world, the screaming of both the little and big kids as they were thrown in every direction by the rides they had so willingly ensnared themselves to. The photo was taken by a paid professional, one of those creepy looking guys that hang around in the corners of theme parks such as the one they were in. Danny, Jazz, Maddie and Jack; the whole Fenton family, stood smiling in the bright sunshine, excitement lighting up their faces. Then you had Tucker and herself, by Danny's other side. The boy had said on more than a few occasions that he was at his happiest on that very day, a few weeks before he became Danny Phantom.

Sam winced as she felt a tear stroke her left cheek. Gah, what she would give right now to see Danny smile like that again, just once. Being dead wouldn't be such a torture if Danny could just forgive himself. Sitting here day after day, watching him fall deeper and deeper into his hole of despair, was unbearable. Of course, he'd brightened up a little since he met Melinda and her lot, but his anguish was still there. She still heard his tears in the night, the way he thrashed in his sleep and more often than not, awoke in a sweat. It was truly heart braking. Taking a deep breath, the dead girl stood and moved over to the window.

Clockwork had told her it would be hard when he first appointed her the task of looking out for Danny, she had to appreciate that. It was still fresh in her mind, the way he intercepted her on her way to the light.

_Bright. White. Absolutely beautiful._

_Never had Sam come across such an awe-inspiring sight. Flickers of light formed tentacles that licked at her skin and even if she closed her eyes, she could see it. But what was it? She could remember hearing all sorts of tales about the 'Light' and the 'Final Voyage' but she had never believed them, especially after... Especially after what? She couldn't even remember, her head was just so clouded. Ah well, it couldn't have been important. So the stories were true._

_There it was. She could feel it reaching out to her. The warmth that it emitted, the love, the trust... it was completely and utterly impossible, yet at the same time... undeniable._

_Next to her stood four other people. She knew their names yet, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't think of a single memory that she had shared with any of them. It was as though she had never met them._

_The one called Lancer was the first to go, leaping and bounding into the legendary doorway. Maddie and Jack were next, soon followed by Tucker, each and everyone of them swallowed up completely by the pulsating glow. Sam glanced to her right and caught a sight of the Jazz girl. She seemed slightly hesitant, as though she knew she was forgetting something but couldn't for the death of her, figure out what it was. _

_Despite the girl's indecision, it took no longer than twenty seconds for her resistance to crumble and she gave in completely to the pull of the light. That left Sam._

_Smiling appreciatively at the miracle before her, she took a step forward. Or at least, she tried to._

"_What...?" The girl looked down at her feet, checking for bonds or chains, connecting her to the ground. There were none. Well that was odd. She tried again. Still nothing._

"_I do not think you will be getting anywhere near that light any time soon." Sam jumped and scanned the area for the source of the voice._

"_Why not?" she asked, genuinely confused._

"_Unfinished business," the voice responded, right next to her ear. The ghost girl turned her head to see a figure stood beside her. Dressed in blue robes and holding a silver-purple staff with a fancy clock perched on its tip, was a child like ghost. The bright blue skin and the deep red of his eyes looked eerily familiar but Sam, despite all her efforts, couldn't put her finger on where exactly it was that she had seen them before._

"_Wha... What do you mean?"_

_The blue ghost smirked, the lightning scar across his eye creasing. "I mean you have unfinished business." Without elaborating any more, the ghost took Sam by her shoulder, turned her around and gestured to her surroundings._

_The girl looked down at the scene around her._

_It was a complete wreck, if anything had ever stood there in the past, it was long gone. Bits of rubble and glass coated every inch of the floor alongside an odd looking red liquid. Sam gasped when she realised just what it was that she was looking at. Deciding she didn't want to look at it any longer, Sam cast her eyes to the horizon, hoping against all hope to see something that would expel all the scarring images she had just witnessed. That was when she saw him; the figure in the distance._

_He was moving at record speed, making a dash for the spot where she now stood. For some reason, Sam found herself unable to take her eyes from him as though some invisible force was drawing them together. He seemed familiar. The way he stumbled over the glass and brick niggled at the back of her mind. As he got closer, she could tell that it was a boy, probably around her age. The build of his body was slight, nowhere near close to that of an adult yet at the same time, it was too thick to be that of a young child or a female._

_It was his clothing that stood out next, a little singed in a few places but otherwise, in perfect shape. She knew he was wearing baggy blue jeans and a red and white top, and she could also knew that he had dark straggly hair that continued to fall in his face._

_It was the eyes that finally did it._

"_Danny!" Suddenly it all came flooding back. The CATs, the future evil Phantom, the explosion, everything. "How could I forget Danny?" she whispered, tears already burring her vision._

"_It's the death daze. Everyone gets it. You're in so much shock from dying, that your memory momentarily erases itself and all you know is that you're supposed to go into the light," the ghost explained, also watching the boy carefully._

_Wait a minute... Sam spun around and looked at the ghost full on. "Hang on, I know you! You're that evil time ghost that went and sent all those ghosts after Danny... Clockwork!" The girl's hands balled up into fists and she took a menacing step closer to the time ghost, her glare fiercer than ever. "What are you doing here? Don't you even think about hurting Danny now, I wont let you! I'll fight you, I'll... I'll..."_

"_Calm down, child. I'm not here to hurt your friend." The child turned into a middle-aged man. "I just want to help."_

_Sam didn't believe this for one second. "If you had wanted to help, you should have done it earlier. You've left Danny with no one, they've all gone into that darn light. He's all alone!"_

"_Interesting..." Clockwork stroked his chin, observing the ghost girl with a knowing smile._

"_What?" Sam didn't like the way she was being looked at. She wasn't a painting, she wasn't there to be stared at! Clockwork didn't say anything for a while, just watched. Just as the young girl opened her mouth to complain, the time ghost pointed his staff at her._

"_You died today," he commented, meaningfully. Sam scoffed._

"_I'm aware of that, thank you."_

"_But you don't seem to care."_

"_No, I guess I don't. You know what I do care about? Danny. Do you really think he is ever going to recover from this?"_

_Clockwork sighed and his smile faded. Lowering his staff, the time ghost turned his head to observe the scrambling halfa, who was completely oblivious to their presence._

"_I _am_ sorry. But there was nothing I could do."_

_A heart-wrenching cry alerted the two ghosts that the orphan boy had finally set eyes on the destruction site. They both watched as Danny fell to his knees, hands balled by his sides. Tears were falling from his eyes like a tsunami and his anguished sobs seemed to echo around the whole of the street._

"_What do you mean there was nothing you could do? You're a time ghost; you could have changed everything!" Sam took a few steps towards Danny, her own eyes leaking._

"_I don't expect you to comprehend. No one can directly interfere with the events of time. This was always going to happen, and there was nothing I could do to stop it," Clockwork confessed. Although Sam still didn't completely understand, she could tell by the tone in the time ghost's voice that he was telling the truth._

"_... Can I go to him?" she asked, not taking her eyes from Danny. Clockwork seemed to debate this for a moment before nodding slightly._

"_I think it should be all right. He wont be able to see or hear you, he's too shrouded by loss, but he should be able to feel you a little. Don't give yourself away too much or else it might cost us."_

_Sam didn't question him. Moving over to her close friend, she knelt down to his level and wrapped her arms around his chest, burring her head in the arc of his neck. "Oh, Danny. I'm so sorry," she whispered, her tears seeping into his shirt. Sam would have given anything to have Danny react in some way. But it was like Clockwork said. Danny could neither see nor hear her. To him, she was non-existent. Nothing._

_She clung onto him like that for a good few minutes, letting out all her pain in her cries, Danny doing like wise. Eventually, a hand on her shoulder told Sam that it was time for her to let go._

_The girl drew back, taking in the broken image of the boy she loved. His lightly burned skin, his dimming blue eyes and his soaked face. This wasn't how she wanted to remember him. What else could she do? Wiping at her tears, she turned to look at Clockwork._

"_You're not the bad guy, are you?" she asked, sniffing. Clockwork sighed again, changing into an ancient looking man, his long white hair and beard drifting around him._

"_I guess it depends on who you ask. I find myself feeling like 'the bad guy' rather frequently nowadays." Sam couldn't help but notice the way the time ghost looked at Danny as he said that._

"_Okay. Answer me this. Why didn't I go into the light like everyone else?"_

_For some reason, this seemed to cheer the time ghost up a little and he reverted back to his child-like image. "I already told you. Unfinished business."_

_Sam rolled her eyes._

"_And what does that mean?"_

"_It means that there is something that you have to do before the light will take you." Clockwork floated forward, getting closer to his student._

"_Okay then... So what is this unfinished business?"_

_Clockwork cocked his head to one side observing the girl closely. "You need to help Danny."_

_Sam blinked, glancing over to the still kneeling boy._

"_How? How do I help Danny?" She was dead. What could she do for her friend now?_

_The time ghost hesitated, looking from Danny to Sam and back again. He seemed to finally make up his mind as he transformed into a man again._

"_I have a proposition for you," he announced. Obviously this is what he had been so excited about before. Sam's eyes widened with the hope of being able to aid Danny._

"_What is it?"_

"_If you can strictly follow all of the rules and promise me that you will never desert him, I will give you the official role as his guide."_

"_That means...?"_

_Clockwork smiled and turned to point his staff at Danny._

"_It means you'll be able to look out for him, find those who can and will help him and lead him to them."_

"_How do I do that?" Frowning, Sam also turned. Clockwork didn't verbally answer, he just tapped the left side of his nose with his finger. The girl placed her hands on her hips and glared at him._

"_Look. You told me that I could help. If you're just going to go all cryptic on me and not actually tell me what I can do, then buzz off."_

"_Nice." The time ghost laughed looking the ghost child over. "All right. There will be obstacles your little friend here will have to face."_

"_Obstacles?"_

_Clockwork nodded towards Danny. The halfa was no longer sitting down but standing, his eyes flashing green. Sam looked around, panic starting to set in as she looked upon the crowd of people that had turned up to see what had happened. Danny was in the centre of it all and he was just about to... "_Danny! Stop! Don't do it!"

_Too late. Already the blue rings were forming around his middle. It was at this point, that Sam caught sight of a peculiar looking man in a white suit. She watched in horror as the guy lifted a radio to his lips and spoke into it. Although she couldn't tell what he was saying she knew it couldn't be good. Not really thinking about what she was doing, the girl ran to her changing friend. He couldn't do this, not now._

"_Danny, please." Sam wrapped a hand around Danny's arm, hoping against all hope that her touch would force him to change his mind. It didn't. There was nothing she could do and within a few seconds, Danny Fenton had changed into Danny Phantom._

_The whole audience gasped, frozen in shock. Well, the whole audience bar one man; the man in the white suit. He was one of them. She knew it. From the moment she laid eyes on him it was clear. The dodgy white suit, the thin black tie and those creepy looking sunglasses. Then, of course, there was the fact that the man in question was staring at Danny like he were something to eat, the most gleeful grin Sam had ever seen, deforming his face._

_This didn't bode well._

_Still completely unaware of Sam's presence, Danny shot up into the air and darted away off to his right. Before long, he was just a speck in the distance._

"_I need to go after him," Sam gasped, taking a few steps forward with her eyes still fastened onto the spot where she had last seen Danny._

"_Yes, he needs you.," Clockwork agreed, appearing next to the ghost girl. "But you'll have to take this." The time ghost pulled out a rather familiar looking neck-piece._

"_It's a time medallion." Sam stated, rather confused._

"_Yes. It is. But that's not all that it is."_

"_What do you mean?"_

_Opting out of a verbal reply, the time ghost placed the medallion around the girl's neck. Sam blinked._

_All of a sudden, she saw everything; what had been; what was and, most frightening of all; what was yet to come. She instantly knew where Danny was and what was going through his head. She could somehow _feel_ him there, in her mind. She knew at that point just what Clockwork had given her and what it meant._

"_He can never know that I'm here," she murmured, more to herself than anyone else._

"_No."_

_Sam raised a hand to dab at her leaking eye._

"_I can never speak to him, or touch him again."_

"_I'm sorry." The ghost girl turned to look at Clockwork. The ghost seemed to be in agony himself. She now understood what it felt like for him all of the time. Knowing time itself but never being able to do anything directly to stop it._

"_Don't be. I appreciate what you've done for me. What you've done for Danny." Sam sighed. "I've gotta go." Without another word, Sam vanished from her spot. Clockwork was left staring at the space in which she had just been standing. She knew where she was going. She knew where Danny was going. She knew everything._

"_Good luck." The ghost whispered._

It turned out that the medallion didn't only give her the information she needed to locate and look out for Danny, but it also informed her of the people that could help him. That was how she had located Melinda. 'The one who speaks to the dead'. The Medallion seemed to transmit the knowledge into her head. Getting Danny here had to be the most fun part of the experience.

Sam recalled how she had overshadowed a small brown thrasher and nabbed the fairground picture she knew Danny kept in his belt. That way, Danny was compelled to follow her to Grandview. The crash landing? Now that was an accident. It actually worked out for her though, as the halfa had been running only on reserves, the crash managed to kill the last of his energy, forcing him to rest. A simple dropping of the photo in the centre of Grandview, coincidentally right next to the antiques store, and they were off.

The ghost girl couldn't help but feel a little proud of her schemes. They not only followed the 'Laws of time' – having Danny in complete control of his wits, but they were completely fool proof. Danny would never give up the last memory of his family and he would have been so zapped of energy, he would only ever have been able to walk into the store nearest to him. Clever or what?

A small smile played on her lips. Danny was going to be all right. She could feel it.

With this last thought drifting lazily through her head, Sam faded from sight.

* * *

><p>"Boo!" Aiden screamed, jumping out from the trees to land directly in front of Danny. The fourteen year old stopped and rolled his eyes.<strong>"<strong>Oh no. You got me. Again. How many times is that now?"

**"**Five!" With that, the youngster bounded off again. Danny sighed and continued walking. Whatever had possessed Melinda to let Aiden come with him was beyond the poor boy. As if Danny knew how to look after a five year old! If only he had said no. He could be up in the sky right now. But no, his conscience just had to get in the way.**  
><strong>**  
><strong>Resting a hand over his eyes, he called out to Aiden.

**"**Aiden, five minutes then we're headed back."

**"**Aw... Okay." A muffled response reached Danny from within the trees. Had Danny's judgement not been clouded by frustration and disappointment, he might have realised that letting a five year old loose in a forest where just about anything could attack. As it was, the teen just carried on.**  
><strong>**  
><strong>The forest was so beautiful in the dying daylight. The leaves seemed to glow green wherever touched by the sun which in itself seemed to light up the leafy paradise. Danny smiled, taking in the view. It was so peaceful out here, almost as though it hadn't been touched by the outside world. Nothing bad could ever happen here. The boy spotted a fallen tree and strode over to it, plonking himself down on top of it.

When he was younger, Danny had never really cared for nature, or wildlife. A forest was just a bunch of trees and flowers were no more than unimpressive decorations. He was far too busy with his computer games to focus on anything else.

It was only, really, very recently that he had become more appreciative. Spending a few nights up in a tree'll do that for you. It felt like a whole new world had been opened up to him and he liked it.

**"**Hey, Aiden, do you know of any good hiding spots around here?" the halfa asked, thinking about the little area he had managed to locate the previous day. How many more of them were out here? "Aiden?" Danny looked up. The youngster was nowhere to be seen. Scanning the trees around him, Danny stood up.

**"**Aiden, where are you?" That was strange. He could have sworn the kid had been right behind him. Maybe he was still hiding. Danny remembered the way Aiden had taken up a spoto behind a tree as they had first entered the forest. The kid wouldn't come out until Danny 'gave up'.

**"**Okay, Aiden, you got me. I give up." No response. "You can come out now." Ah well, it was worth a was he? The halfa moved forward.

"I'm not playing now. Come out!"

That was when the panic kicked in. Danny picked up his pace, weaving in and out of the trees looking for the missing boy. "Aiden!" What if he was hurt? What if he'd fallen down a hole or tripped or banged his head or something? Maybe he'd been attacked by some sort of wild animal. Oh, it was all his fault. Why hadn't he paid closer attention to the kid? What was he going to tell Melinda if he couldn't find him?

'Okay, stop that now. He's probably fine. You're worrying for nothing'.

"Oh, God I hope so." Danny closed his eyes for a second, hoping to clear his head. "Aiden!"

"Looking for something?"

Danny went cold. The deep lazy voice seemed to wrap itself around him, turning his insides to ice. A wisp of mist floated from his mouth, the warning coming far too late.

"Walker." The halfa turned slowly to take in the sight of the ghost warden. Walker hadn't changed in the slightest. He was still dressed head to toe in his usual white suit that matched the hue of his skin completely. His red eyes seemed to emit loathing and his black cowboy hat with white strip still balanced awkwardly on his bald head.

"Hello, Punk. Long time no see."

Danny glared at the ghost.

"Not long enough."

"I disagree." Walker folded his arms and his face suddenly morphed into his ever annoying smirk.

"What do you want, Walker?" the halfa asked, most of his attention still on locating his little friend. Walker didn't respond straight away, opting for the more irritating option of examining Danny from top to bottom. Eventually, the ghost warden snapped his fingers. Out of nowhere appeared two of Walker's goons with a small figure trapped between them.

"Aiden!" Within a second, Danny was in ghost form, flying at top speed toward the young child and his captors. His fists were raised at his sides, one further forward than the other in preparation for a full on fight. However he didn't get very far before he halted suddenly re-evaluating the situation.

"Ah, so you noticed." Walker chortled. Danny hardly even heard him. He quickly scanned the trio before him. Aiden was currently unconscious, probably courtesy of Walker. It did, however, explain the lack of screaming. His head lolled slightly forward, making him look all the more pathetic in the middle of the two ghostly brutes.

The thing that most caught Danny's attention, was the large pink energy ball hovering right in front of the youngsters chest. Danny knew from experience how devastating an energy ball from such a close range could be. It could knock out a fully grown man and have his sent to the hospital with serious burns. Some people even died.

If Aiden got hit, he'd have no chance.

"Let him go." Danny growled. Walker floated carelessly towards his goons.

"Where would be the fun in that?" Before the halfa could do anything to defend himself, he was flat on the floor several metres back caressing an energy ball burn on his stomach. Wincing, he forced himself to sit up and move back to rest on a tree. It appeared that Walker's attack had reopened just about every wound on the front of his torso. He'd managed to forget, once again, just how weak he was. He'd really have to stop doing that.

"What do you want?"

"Straight to the point? All right. If that's what you want." The ghost warden dropped to the floor right beside the damaged boy. In as much pain as he was, Danny couldn't do anything about Walker's hand positioned on his chest, pinning him to the tree. All he could do was turn his head away as the warden's face came within a few millimetres of his own. Danny could feel the cold seeping from the ghost's skin and it made him shiver.

"I want you to surrender yourself," Walker whispered, tauntingly. Danny scoffed.

"You're dreaming."

"Am I?" The ghost withdrew so that his enemy could see Aiden. The energy ball seemed to have gotten bigger, probably emphasised by the sweat dripping from the still sleeping child. Danny bit his lip and attempted to pull himself up from the tree. As it turned out, he just ended up with a few splinters and a sore bottom from falling back down again.

"Now. We could either fight this out and watch your dear little friend die... _or_ you can agree to my terms and let the boy live. It's your choice."

A low growl emitted from his throat as Danny attempted yet again to stand up, still not succeeding. Oh this was all his fault. He shouldn't have taken Aiden from the house. He'd known that from the moment it was suggested. But what was he to do now? He couldn't just give himself up! After all he had gone through, being locked up in a dingy cell was the last thing he needed. On the other hand, he couldn't just sit there and watch the child die. Fighting was completely out of the question.

Danny let his eyes rise to the five-year-old. The child had been so nice to him, instantly making him feel like one of the family. Images of his little smiling face flashed through the halfa's head, alongside tinkling laughter. Aiden.

The half ghost shook his head, unable to believe what he was about to do.

"What terms?"

Walker's face twisted into an overly large grin. He slowly and deliberately moved towards Aiden, keeping his eyes on his weak opponent. The ghost then pulled out a glowing green object, that Danny couldn't quite make out, from his pocket.

"What is that?"

Ignoring Danny completely now, the warden flicked the top of his object and grabbed the young child's arm. It was only then that the halfa realised just was it was that Walker was holding.

"No, stop!" Danny's attempts at getting up doubled. He didn't know what Walker meant to do exactly but he knew it was anything but good. He did eventually, manage to stand and get into the air, but by that time, Walker had already injected his syringe into the child and pushed the green liquid through.

Aiden cried out in pain, his body beginning to light up. As though simply finished with the boy, Walker's goons dropped him.

"Aiden!" Covered in ectoplasm and struggling to stay afloat, Danny got there in time to catch the youngster and save him from the full impact of the fall. However, the extra weight, even if it was only that of a child, caused Danny to tumble the rest of the way to the ground. He managed to land on his back with Aiden cradled in his arms.

Somehow, through all of this, the young boy had remained unconscious, all that was to be heard of him now were slight whimpers. It was, perhaps, for the better, but Danny couldn't help but be scared by it. Then there was the fact that he was glowing green. Deciding to completely ignore the existence of Walker and his goons for a while, the halfa checked Aiden over.

The boy placed a hand over his friend's forehead measuring the temperature. The poor kid was burning up, whether that was due to the liquid or not, there was no way of telling, but it wasn't good. Aside from his glow and fever, Danny could see no physical injury to the boy. There were no clear reasons for his sleep.

Ah, that was something to worry about later. Right now, he had more pressing concerns.

"What have you done to him?" the halfa demanded, wrapping his arm protectively around the child whilst shooting his fiery glare at the ghost warden.

"I poisoned him, obviously." The ghost floated just above the two boys, looking down on them in that condescending way of his.

"What? Why would you do that? I was cooperating!"

"Yes. And to make sure you continued cooperating, I poisoned the brat. You see, I need to make sure you follow my instructions to the last detail and I've found that the only way of doing seems to be endangering someone you care about."

Danny winced and glanced down at the little boy in his arms. Why did he seem so good at getting other people into trouble?

"You see that glow? You're seeing the brat's life energy. I'd say he's got about... seven hours before his lights go out?... Literally." Walker chortled as he watched all the colour drain from his opponent.

Danny was speechless. How could anyone be as sick as to poison a five-year-old boy? It wasn't right! Almost unconsciously the halfa's hold on Aiden tightened..

"I don't get it. Why did you have to poison him? Why didn't you just take me? I gave up." The halfa's voice barely raised above a whisper yet his point still stood. It didn't make any sense.

"Hah. You really don't know do you, Punk?" Walker asked, landing noiselessly in front of Danny. The boy just shook his head. "You're being watched."

Danny blinked. "What?"

"Twenty-four-seven, there's someone there. In that house of yours, watching you. It's lucky that I picked up on this before I made my move. It could have gotten ugly otherwise."

"Who is it? Who's watching me?" All of a sudden the halfa was scared. Was it them? Did they know he was here? Were they just waiting for the right time to attack? But no, that didn't make any sense. That wasn't the way they worked. So who was it? Noticing Danny's distress, Walker took it upon himself to revel in it a little more.

"Oh, someone. If you don't know, then they probably don't want you to, do they? It's not my place to say."

Realising just how much enjoyment the ghost warden was getting out of him, Danny decided to put his fears to one side. He could deal with those later.

"If I'm being 'watched' then shouldn't there be someone here, like right now, _watching_ me?"

"You didn't let me finish before. It seems that the only time your... guards if you like, aren't following you around, is when you go on your 'walks'. That is why I knew I could get to you this evening without anyone suspecting a thing."

"That still doesn't tell me why you couldn't just kidnap me or whatever right now." The halfa replied venomously. This guy was really starting to grate on his nerves.

"Think about it, Punk. You have guards watching the house all the time. I don't want any of them to know that you have disappeared until it is too late for them to track you. You're kid friend here has seven hours to live. Work it out."

Danny frowned. It was hard for him to think properly, what with knowing that Aiden was dying in his arms. Surely it would take the 'guards', 'watchers', whatever a while to realise that he was missing, long enough for Walker to get him way out of the way. Unless even Walker was too weary of them to take even the smallest of risks.

That was an odd thought. Walker being scared.

So... if he'd wanted more time... that was it!

"You want me to sneak out tonight so that you'll have all night to get away." The boy breathed, frowning slightly at the revelation. Walker smirked.

"Ah, so you do have a brain in there after all. How quaint."

"What about Aiden? You poisoned him."

"Yes, I did." The warden puffed up his chest, as though proud of his deed. "And, to sweeten the deal, when you give yourself up completely tonight, I will send a scout with the antidote to the brat's condition. He'll be all better again. I'm generous like that, you see."

Danny bit his lip and looked down at the youngster. Already, the glow about him had dimmed slightly. He knew he had to get him back to Melinda, and fast. If Danny didn't get out in time, it was possible that the child may not pull through and although he had no plans of exceeding his seven hour limit, he wanted to make sure the kid was cared for.

"Midnight. I'll be here," the halfa promised before using all of his strength to lift the five-year-old and raise up into the air. The last thing he heard before he flew in the direction of the boy's home was Walker's haunting words.

"I know you will."

* * *

><p><strong>So, what do you think? Drop us a note! I realise there may be a lot of mistakes in this as when I put it onto the site, everything jumbled up and I've been sorting it out for the past hour or two. I say this at the end so that you were not looking out for errors whilst reading. Tactics see? ;)<strong>

**(Sorry if I haven't replied to any of your reviews, same excuse as before, I love ya though :))**

**xX-Mea-Xx**


	11. Introducing Phantom

**Wow, saying this took a while to get out would be quite an understatement... I only started writing this a couple of weeks ago and having the whole house to myself has really helped me catch up with everything (if you didn't already know, I finished editing the first few chapters this morning). So yeah, I've been a busy bee.**

**Okay, I really like this chapter (rare, I know). I actually find it really hard to write the whole action fighting kind of thing, my strengths being more on dialogue and thought processes, so this was quite an experiment. Hopefully it will have paid off. So, for those of you that didn't give up on me during my two month break, ENJOY CHAPTER 11!**

**Disclaimer: **(This is the last time I am doing one of these for Diversity as I am pretty sure you've gotten the picture already) I own nothing but Adam Whitehall... Yeah, that'll make sense when you read ;)

**Chapter 11:**Introducing Phantom

* * *

><p>Danny was pacing.<p>

He hated pacing.

Pacing made a person look weak. It also looked stupid. There was no reason for anyone at any time to pace.

Yet here he was. Pacing.

But what else was he supposed to do? Aiden was dying in the next room and Danny had another two hours to wait before he 'gave himself up'.

Aiden had woken up before the two had arrived back. It had taken the halfa by surprise when the youngster started to groan and move about. The poor boy had had to make a hurried landing and a quick change from ghost to human before Aiden became completely conscious.

"_Danny?" The little boy reached up to his eyes, rubbing at them with rounded fists._

"_Hey, sleepy head." Danny responded whilst looking down at the boy and forcing a smile onto his face. It had only been a matter of minutes and yet Danny was sure that the glow surrounding the infected child had dimmed ever so slightly._

"_What happened?"_

"_You... fell asleep... I told you we shouldn't have come in so far. You tired yourself out." He would really have to work on his lying skills._

"_Oh... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." The boy frowned and Danny couldn't ignore the child's guilty expression._

"_Don't worry about it. It's not your fault." Danny turned his head slightly to glance at the area behind him, thinking again how much he hated Walker. A sudden shooting pain in his back told Danny that he couldn't carry the kid for much longer. In that same instant, Danny had a thought. Maybe if Aiden was well enough to walk home and spend a few hours with his family, Danny could get away with keeping this whole thing secret. His original plan had been to tell Melinda and Jim _everything _and only hope that Jim could come up with a cure for whatever Aiden had been cursed with. It had been stupid really. The poison was obviously ghost related and no matter how good the doctor was, Danny doubted his expertise would spread this far. Now that Aiden was awake, however, depending on whether or not he could walk, Danny might just be able to get away with covering the whole thing up. He didn't need to worry the family, not when all he had to do was give himself up to Walker to save his friend's life. They needn't know anything about it.__"Do you think you can walk?" he asked after a second. _

"_Yeah. I think so." __Well that was an upside at least.__ Danny responded by carefully lowering the boy onto his feet. The youngster was a little bit shaky to start with and Danny could tell that he was still feeling a little woozy from his sleep. Slowly the two made their way back to the house._

_It was only when they knocked on the front door of Aiden's house that Danny recalled something drastically important. Aiden was _glowing_. He could explain woozy, he could explain bruised but glowing? Glowing was something he didn't think he could get away with. The boy's heart was in his throat as the door opened._

Danny sighed as he remembered the grin on Melinda's face, as though she were the proudest person on the earth.

_The mother looked over Danny happily and nodded as though to tell him he had done well in taking Aiden out. Her face dropped however, when she looked at Aiden. _Aw, crud, here it comes...

"_Aiden, what have you been doing? You're covered in mud!"_

"_Look, Melinda, I can explain..." Danny frowned suddenly. "Wait, _what?"

"_You too Danny, what on earth have you boys been doing out there?" Melinda ushered the two inside, closing the door behind them before pulling off Aiden's coat for him. It was then that it hit the teen. Melinda couldn't see the glow. It made sense, he guessed. It was a ghost poison, so it's effects were only visible by a ghost._

"_I fell asleep in the woods." Aiden said solemnly, glancing over to Danny. "Danny picked me up and started bringing me back before I woke up."_

"_Well then, I guess we owe you thanks, Danny." Melinda smiled warmly at her guest, making him feel all the more uncomfortable._

"_It was nothing, really__,_" t_he teen murmured, still in shock._

"_Though I don't really know how you managed to fall asleep on a walk, Aiden."_

That was about it. The rest of the evening had been spent watching Aiden struggle to stay awake whilst painting. It had been Melinda's idea to have an early night, lights out and everything before half past nine. In a way this was a good thing. It meant he didn't have to slowly watch the light gradually drift from Aiden. He couldn't bare that. Danny had noticed something frightening about the glow. As he had looked closer, Danny realised that the edges of the glow were constantly flickering, rising and falling, as though it was connected up to his heart beat and his breathing. It scared him.

"There's got to be something I can do!" Danny murmured to himself, maybe a little louder than he should have. He'd always been able to get himself out of problems like this before, so why couldn't he do it now? The halfa cast his eyes to the ground, deep in thought. The only thing that could really help him out was equipment. Ghost fighting equipment. It had never failed him before...

Danny grunted and threw himself down on to the bed. He didn't _have_ any ghost fighting gear. It had all been burned down along with his house. Even if he had the time or energy to fly all the way back to Amity Park, there wouldn't be anything left to pick up. He'd made sure of it.

Gah, if he'd only thought about taking stuff with him. It would have made everything so simpler. He'd been too consumed with grief and the thought of getting rid of anything that could be used against him by those government creeps that just so loved to torment him. He'd never even considered...

Grasping his hair in his hands, the boy rolled over onto his body so that he could bury his face in the pillow.

_'All you need is a Thermos and a bunch of wires.'_

Danny frowned as his father's words hit him. Flash backs of him standing awkwardly beside his dad, electronics laid out before him whilst the ghost hunter rambled on and on about how the Fenton Thermos worked, stormed the boys head. All that time, watching his dad build Thermos after Thermos, making Danny try a few times before his mum would call them all to their evening meal. All the ones Danny had ever tried to make had turned out to be complete disasters. One did nothing at all; one worked for a second then fizzled out and the other? The other blew up. Plain and simple. Right in his hands.

But what if he gave it another try? He wondered if Melinda had any Thermoses. He knew that Jim had all the electrical equipment in the garage. If he could get to all of that... then maybe he had a chance. If his Dad could make it then surely he could.

That was it. He was going to make a Fenton Thermos.

Danny's head rose from the pillow he had suffocated himself with, gasping for air.

The boy's heart leapt as he realised that he might just have found a way out of his pickle. Without a second thought, the halfa hopped off his bed and made his way quietly to the door. All he had to do was make sure that Walker sent his 'scout' to cure Aiden before he trapped the idiot in the Thermos. How hard could that be? Holding his breath, Danny pulled on the door handle and let himself out of his room. He could hear the slight whimpers of sleep coming from Melinda and Jim's bedroom down the hall and the unearthly glow that drifted slightly under Aiden's door was enough to tell him that he wasn't up and about. Not that he had expected anything less.

Sure that no one was going to walk in on him, Danny swiftly changed from human to ghost and drifted down through the floor into the kitchen.

"Thermos..." he murmured under his breath as though to focus his mind. The boy moved from drawer to drawer, careful so as not to make too much noise. His glow provided enough light to see the contents of each, and it didn't take him long to locate three shiny, silver Thermoses packed away with a drawer all to themselves.

"... That was easy..." Danny frowned momentarily before shrugging and phasing through the far wall into the garage.

As he passed through the open air, he wondered to himself just who Walker was scared of... He could understand if the government ghost hunting team was posted just outside his door but... well if it was them... they'd have pounced on him already. Hanging back just wasn't their style. He knew from experience. So then who else was there? Would they help him if he asked them? Were they on his side or were they against him? All these questions that he'd probably never get the answers to... It was like torture.

Landing next to the workbench he had seen Jim use a few times, Danny laid out the three Thermoses. The halfa took his time in surveying the tools that were spread across the surface.

"I have no idea what I'm doing," the boy admitted to himself, running a hand through his hair.

"Well that one's obvious."

Danny yelped and spun around. As his eyes fell on the owner of the voice, he relaxed a little, his heart still racing from the shock.

"Are you following me?" Danny crossed his arms over his chest and glowered at a very amused looking man in a familiar black Tuxedo. It was only then that his ghost sense went off. Was he getting worse at this?

"Why of course not, Master Phantom, my meeting you here in this _garage _is simply coincidental. No, I'm here to speak to the Whisperer." The young man straightened his bow-tie as if majorly proud of his announcement. Danny just raised an eyebrow.

"The 'Whisperer'?" he replied sceptically.

"Yes."

"What's that?"

There was a moment of silence in which the two ghost's stared at each other before the eldest erupted in laughter.

"Oh, dear. You really are quite clueless, aren't you?" At this point the ghost had propped himself up against the wall and seemed to literally fold himself in half through his howling. Danny on the other hand was extremely irritated and had taken to glaring daggers at the dead man in front of him. After a few seconds, the boy turned back around to get on with the Thermoses.

"I'm... Sorry... Sorry. I just..." Gasping for breath, the guy was taken over by yet another wave of giggles. Danny rolled his eyes.

"Forget it," he grumbled, screwing the top off one of the containers.

"No... I'm just..."

Danny didn't get what was so funny or what he had said so wrong. He just hated being laughed at, especially by some arrogant, funny talking creep. It was bad enough when it was his friends...

Everything froze for a second as he was hit by a wave of sorrow. Clueless. He was stuck with the image of Sam and Tucker, fastened to the side of the Nasty Burger chemical tank. The look of pure terror on their faces was heart shattering, sweat dripping from them as though they'd been doused with buckets of water.

"Are you okay?" A light hand on his shoulder was enough to jolt him out of his sombre thoughts. In all honesty, no. No, he wasn't okay. He was nowhere near okay. He had no idea if he would ever be okay again but admitting he wasn't okay was like admitting defeat, and that was something he'd never do.

"Yeah, I'm fine." The halfa closed his eyes for a few seconds, clearing his head, before opening them again and picking up a random blue wire.

"You know... When I was alive, my brother worked with electronics," the man stated suggestively, removing his hand from the boy's shoulder. Narrowing his eyes, Danny twisted his head to stare at the immaculate looking ghost.

"Okay...?"

"Your parents taught you the science of ghost hunting, correct?"

He knew how to make things work against ectoplasm if that's what he meant. "... Yes..."

The ghost met his eye and a cocky smile spread across his face. "What do you say we pool our skills together? You don't know a thing about electronics, I can see that in the way that you were gazing at those wires a moment ago. If I help you build the thing, you can add a little of that anti-ghost magic of yours and there we have it. A Fetom Thermos, or whatever your lot call it."

"Fenton Thermos," Danny corrected automatically. The boy glanced down at the equipment on the table. It was true. He had no idea what any of this stuff did. When he'd been building with his Dad, everything had been set out already, circuit boards wired, connections made within the Thermos. Without all of that, he was useless. Getting help wouldn't hurt... would it? His eyes travelled back up to the ghost that had warned him away from that hole in Melinda's shop. Despite the man's arrogance and his knack for irritating him, he really did seem to want to help. Maybe he should give the guy a chance. Danny considered it for a second longer before he nodded.

"Okay, but if you try and pull anything..."

"I wouldn't dream of it." The ghost cut him off, smirking. His pale hand shot out from his side in offering to the ghost hybrid. "Adam Whitehall."

Eyeing the extended hand wearily, Danny grasped it lightly and blinked as their hands moved up and down in a handshake. "Danny Fenton, but you already knew that." Danny pulled back his hand and wiped it on his jumpsuit.

"Yes, I did." Adam smiled, ignoring Danny's actions. "So tell me how this works."

* * *

><p><em>The sun touched down on the horizon, painting everything it could reach in a golden light. The meadow in which Eli found himself sung sweet harmony. The grass he was laid out on was long enough to form a sort of bed for him, tickling his bare arms. In the distance, a song bird perched on an old oak tree, releasing the loveliest of melodies.<em>

_Eli couldn't have dreamed of anything better. It was like heaven._

"_Eli..." The man lazily lifted his head to see the most stunning woman he had ever laid eyes on. Her sapphire blue eyes shone brightly as she made her way towards him. There was something about her voice as well. So musical and melodic, it seemed to echo through the valley._

_The woman's beautiful golden hair floated around her body like a halo. Her skin, lightly tanned, was absolutely flawless and Eli couldn't help but compare her to a goddess. The man watched in awe as the angel, in her slight pink dress, knelt down beside him, reached out her hand and gently caressed his cheek, causing him to blush furiously._

_The woman opened her mouth as though to speak again and the professor leaned in to hear what she was saying when..._

_Crash!_

As if he'd been electrocuted, Eli shot up in his bed. What was that? The man's eyes darted around the darkness of his room as though expecting to see someone stood there. A scuffle from his kitchen started his heart racing and he slowly felt under his bed for his trusty baseball bat.

"Aw, crud." Eli blinked as he heard the curse through his bedroom door. That voice sounded eerily familiar. The man's mind was clouded and he couldn't think properly but he was sure...

Raising slowly from his bed, Eli -with the bat firmly grasped in his right hand- advanced on the door.

"Okay, I get it, shut up!" There it was again. It was hushed but there was no denying it; he knew that voice. Wanting to prove it to himself, he pulled the door open to behold the intruder. Or maybe not...

Eli gasped as he looked upon a young boy, dressed in a black and white jumpsuit, holding tight to the pink polka-dot Thermos he'd been given by Delia last year for Christmas. It wasn't the pure white hair or even the neon green eyes, nor was it the fact that the kid's skin was literally glowing that had him in a state of shock.

_Ghost_. Eli thought to himself, unable to really formulate any other words in his head. The boy had spun around by this time and was staring with equal shock at the psychology professor. Brown eyes met green and the two just stood in silence for what must have been a whole minute.

How was this possible? How was Eli seeing a ghost? It just didn't happen. The only time Eli had ever seen a ghost was when that ghost hunter kid... Linus, had shown him one with his special camera thingy that he still couldn't remember the name of; even then all he could see was a white blur. This? This was something different all together.

The sound of whispering caught Eli's attention and he noticed that this visible ghost was talking to someone. Not wanting to talk in case this was another totally awesome dream that he was having, the man waited patiently, eyes still the size of saucepans. It didn't take long for the ghost to look back at him.

"Erm... Hello... Guy I've never met..._Ow!_" the ghost turned his head and glared at someone Eli couldn't see, before rubbing the side of his stomach and continuing. "Listen... I don't want you to freak out or anything but... I was wondering if I could... borrow this?" The boy awkwardly held up the Thermos in his hand.

Eli blinked and looked between the Thermos and the ghost. It took him a few seconds to break out of his trance.

"Sure." It was all he could think to say. He'd spoken to ghosts before but not ones he could actually _see_.

The boy sighed with relief and relaxed a little, clipping the Thermos onto his belt.

"Thanks." He smiled before doing something Eli never imagined he would see. He jumped _into the air _and _hovered there_. Melinda had certainly never said anything about ghosts _flying_. Completely fixated with the floating ghost, the man completely missed the short conversation between the visible ghost and the more ordinary _in_visible ghost. All he caught was a small goodbye before the glowing ghost kid left through his ceiling. In a second, Eli was engulfed by darkness.

It took a few more moments for Eli to make up his mind and make a mad dash back into his bedroom, switching on his light before pulling on the first clothes he could locate in his wardrobe and grabbing his car keys.

He was going on a ghost hunt.

* * *

><p>"It works!" Danny exclaimed, shaking Eli's Thermos around as though to prove beyond doubt what he was talking about.<p>

"I told you we only had to try it once more." Adam was stretched out on a wooden chair that Danny hadn't spotted before. The ghost wore his seemingly permanent arrogant smirk which the halfa had gotten a little more used to after the hour of working on the Thermoses with less than an inch between them. An hour and a half if you counted the trip to Eli's. Danny was actually pretty impressed that he had remembered the way, only really having seen it on google maps. Adam wasn't too impressed however when they ended up lost about three times on the way there. Then again, Adam never really seemed impressed with anything, other than himself, that is. The ghost boy looked over at his co-worker and laughed.

"Yeah, you did." Danny had to admit, he felt an awful lot better now that he was armed. He actually had a chance at beating Walker and getting out of all of this alive. He owed the man for that. "Thanks again."

"Don't mention it. It took long enough."

That was true. The three Thermoses that Melinda had unknowingly provided had ended in disaster. Danny had no idea how he was going to explain that, one of them had blown up, one of them had sliced itself in half and the other had a hammer lodged into it, hammerhead first. It was quite lucky that Eli had shown Danny his humble abode on the internet otherwise the teen would have lost hope completely. He almost had.

Danny looked down at the pink and white, scrappy looking Thermos in his hand. It looked nowhere near as impressive as the ones his parents had created, it just looked like an ordinary Thermos with a few wires sticking out and a makeshift button on the side that introduced the suction, that and it had bright ink dots all over it... The duo had tested it by Danny creating a ball of ectoplasmic energy and seeing if the Thermos had any effect. It was almost scary how forcefully the final Thermos had grabbed the ectoplasm and Danny was pretty sure that they had created a whole new level of Fenton Thermos making... even if it looked like crud.

"You know I've never actually met a ghost who couldn't fly before..." Danny admitted, examining Adam. He'd thought it was just one of those things that all ghosts could do. Apparently not. Adam chortled slightly, brushing off some invisible dust from his trousers.

"And I've never met one who could, so I believe we are even." The ghost stood and moved over to the door of the garage. "Well, this is where I leave you my dear fellow, try not to die." He winked before disappearing.

Danny sighed before turning back to the workbench. Carrying Adam to Eli's and back hadn't done him any good. Any of the energy he had actually recovered in the break between Walker and his big idea had completely deserted him. If it came to a fight with Walker, he wasn't going to hold up well. The Thermos gave him some hope though and he'd take as much of that as he could get. Thinking about it, the halfa positioned the equipment onto the back part of his belt. The longer he could keep Walker from seeing it, the better.

Glancing up at the clock on the wall, Danny made his way to the far wall of the garage. Quarter to twelve. That gave him fifteen minutes. The boy scanned the floor for the dip that Adam had so kindly pointed out to him. It turned out, that there was some undiscovered tunnel under this patch. According to the ghost, there were tunnels like this under pretty much the whole of Grandview. All Danny knew however, was that it got him out of the house without any unwanted spectators following him. Whatever Walker was afraid of couldn't possibly interfere with their showdown. Taking a deep breath, the halfa phased through the floor and made his way through the luckily ghost free tunnel.

* * *

><p><em>There<em>_!_

Eli's eyes locked onto the glowing figure shooting through the sky. He wasn't losing him this time.

The man jammed his keys into the ignition and pressed down hard on the gas pedal

The poor psychology professor had been waiting about half an hour in some side lane of a main road, hoping against hope to catch another glimpse of this ghost kid. He'd pulled over as soon as he'd lost sight of the boy, it made some sense to sit there for a while at this spot, so that he could pick up the trail again more easily than if he went in the wrong direction. All though it was probably very naïve, Eli's logic had paid off.

"Here we go..."

The car shot forward, following at the exact pace the ghost was flying. Despite knowing that he would probably get a speeding ticket for this, Eli kept going. There was something about this ghost that was special. For one, he could _see_ him and for another, Eli couldn't shake the feeling that he somehow knew him... Naturally, he was desperate to uncover both of these mysteries. He was just grateful that no one else seemed to be on the road tonight. A car crash was the last thing he wanted.

Preparing himself for a long speedy ride, Eli shuffled about in his seat to find a more comfortable position. If he hadn't have looked down, perhaps the man would have noticed the ghost get hit by some sort of glowing orb. All the man did see, was the boy plummet to the ground with such speed, impact would have killed any living person. The kid was already dead so... he wouldn't be hurt by it... right? The muffled thud from this distance away told him otherwise.

Eli hastily surveyed his surroundings. He knew where this was! He was next to the forest near to Melinda's house. The ghost must have fallen right into the centre of it. The man pulled over and stumbled out of his car. The amount of concern he had for something he had met stealing from his kitchen took him by surprise, but he took it as a sign. The kid needed his help.

It didn't take long for Eli to reach the trees. If he was being honest, he hated the forest. All the creepy tree branches and the sounds of hunter animals looking for food. It scared the life out of him. Walking through those trees in the dark? It was worse than he could have imagined.

The man took a step forward, narrowing his eyes as if the action would aid his eyesight. Stupidly enough, the idea of bringing a torch had completely slipped his mind. The sound of leaves rustling beside him made him jump and he walked a little faster. If anything out here wanted to eat him, it'd have a chase on it's hands... or claws... or whatever scary animals had now.

Step by step, Eli got further into the forest. The moonlight provided enough light for him to move without falling flat on his face, which was handy, but the man would have thought that he would have spotted that eerie glow already...

The man pressed a button on his watch that made the numbers glow. 11:58. Almost midnight... he'd give it a few more minutes, then he'd turn back. The man was pretty sure there was something following him and he didn't really want to stick around long enough to find out if he was right.

All of a sudden, what looked like a glowing green fireball, slammed into the tree beside him. The man yelped before staring at it for a few seconds, aghast. What could have made that? A grunting sound up ahead told him that whatever it was, it had come from over there.

Eli was split. On one hand, he was completely terrified. Whatever was out there had blown away a very big chunk of a tree. Just thinking about what may have happened if he had been standing just that little to the right, had his heart in his throat. But on the other hand, when would he ever get the chance to go on an adventure like this again? His curiosity won over.

Eli didn't even think to grab his phone and alert Melinda. This was too awesome.

Taking a deep breath, the psychology professor inched forwards, careful not to alert anything of his presence.

It didn't take him long to locate the source of the grunting. Hiding behind a rather overgrown tree, Eli peeked around the trunk and saw the ghost kid that he had been following not five minutes ago. It took the man by surprise, just how ragged the boy looked. Melinda had told him that ghosts always take on the form that they believe themselves to look like. Something told Eli that that wasn't exactly the case here. The boy was standing bolt upright in the centre of the clearing. There was an odd green substance seeping into his suit from his chest, and if Eli didn't know any better, he'd say the ghost was bleeding. Something about the position of the wound, tugged at the professor's mind. It was almost like he had seen something similar on someone else... The ghost's white hair seemed to be flowing in all directions and his glowing eyes held a whole new level of ferocity.

Eli had to admit, he was a little scared. Not as scared, however, as he was when a chortle from the left of the clearing reached his ears and he looked over to see probably the biggest man in existence. The guy was dressed completely in black and white. White suit, black hat, he even had pure white skin... That was weird... It was probably a pretty good guess that this was who the ghost kid's anger was directed at. Eli did another sweep of the scene before him with his eyes. Did that little ghost really want to go up against that brutish looking monster?

"Hello again, Punk." The big guy took a confident step forward, an odd sort of sneer on his face. "Had a nice evening with the family?"

The man's words had an impact on the kid as a growl escaped him.

"Where's the antidote, Walker?" 'Walker' laughed before rising into the air slightly. _More flying_

"What, you mean this little treasure?" He pulled a little, purple, glowing vial from inside his jacket and examined it. The ghost kid's eyes narrowed and he shot forward in flight to grab the object. He didn't get very far before two more of these visible ghosts appeared behind him and pinned him to the ground. "You know... I've thought about it and I've changed my mind. This little antidote here is worth more than your life... or death... and I plan on keeping it."

"No! You can't do that!" The kid screamed, struggling with all his might against the ghosts piled on top of him.

Walker handed the vial to yet another ghost who had floated up beside him. "I think you'll find that I make rules around here and you're in a whole world of trouble, punk." The ghost rose even further in the air, so that he was almost reaching the tips of the trees. "Take him away."

Eli bit his lip as the two ghost guards... or whatever they were, yanked the beaten kid from the floor, in an arm lock and began to pull away from the scene.

He had no idea what was going on here. It was all just so surreal, what he did know however, was that he had do something. The kid wasn't the bad guy in all of this and Eli knew that if he didn't help out, he'd never forgive himself. Reaching out for the first thing he saw –which just so happened to be a rather heavy stone- he took his arm back and hurled it towards the ghosts. He was taken a little by surprise when it actually connected with one of the brute's heads and knocked it out. Again with the awesome!

It didn't seem as awesome however when the other ghost abandoned the ghost kid and headed straight for him.

_You really didn't think this one through now, did you Eli?_

The psychology professor backed off, staring at the advancing guard. Being so focused on the danger ahead, Eli completely missed the log behind him and it didn't take him long to fall and land on a mossy patch between a few tree roots. His landing had alerted his attacker to his whereabouts and the ghost sped up.

Desperate, Eli grabbed at the log that he had fallen over and shuffled to behind the closest tree. The ghost was now floating where Eli had been sprawled not five seconds ago, looking out for any sign of the creature that knocked his partner out. Taking advantage of the guard's momentary confusion, the psychology professor pulled himself up and balanced the log in his right hand.

His heart was racing and Eli was pretty sure that he could see his chest throbbing with his rapid pulse. It didn't take long for his peruser to come looking for him.

This could go one of two ways. He could connect with the ghost and hurt it in some way (which he wouldn't have thought possible if he hadn't been able to knock the other one out). That would be nice. Or he could completely miss and probably end up killing himself. Either way he was giving it a go.

Taking a deep breath, Eli waited until the ghost was close enough before swinging the log with enough force to fatally wound a horse. The wood hit something and bounced back, taking Eli's arm with it. The man spun a little before managing to stop himself. That couldn't be right. That was too solid to be the ghost. Ah, he couldn't bare it. Eli slammed his eyes shut, waiting for the retaliating blow.

Any second now...

Or now..

Or...

Eli opened his eyes. That couldn't be right. Turning, the man spotted the guard. The ghost had a huge graze in the centre of his chest and was slumped against the tree, unconscious. Well... that was lucky... Eli thought, taking in the scene. Then it dawned on him. This was probably the only chance he would ever get to examine a ghost! Completely forgetting about the fight going off in the clearing, Eli leaned over and prodded the face of the ghost.

Touching a ghost. That was something Melinda could never say she'd done. The professor beamed before deciding to go further. Feeling the ghost's chest, Eli realised that it was wearing some sort of vest armour. That explained the solidity of the whack.

The one truly fascinating thing that Eli found on the unconscious ghost was a baton, the kind you'd see on an everyday policeman. So this guard was actually some sort of ghostly policeman? That was new. The professor took the baton into his hands and examined it closer. There was a big green button on one of the sides.

_Wonder what that does..._

"Hey! You!"

A deep burning pain spread through Eli's left shoulder, causing him to cry out. Whirling around the man squinted up at the floating figure, who just so happened to be pointing a rather nasty looking gun at him. It didn't take long for the man to recognise him as the ghost that had floated next to that Walker guy. Did all these visible ghosts have to be so aggressive?

The ghost fired the gun again, this time aiming for the professor's head. Eli had only just managed to get out of the way before the odd, flaming-bullet-laser things started chasing him deeper into the woods. Heart in his throat, Eli ducked behind a rather protective looking oak tree. He knew he would only be buying himself a few seconds but it was better than nothing. Glancing down at the baton, still held tightly in his hands, the man knew what he had to do.

_I really hope that ghost kid appreciates this._

Trusting his instincts, Eli jumped out from behind the tree, taking his attacker by surprise. Not giving him any time to react, Eli aimed the baton at the creepy looking ghost guy and pressed the big green button. A green, goo-like substance shot from the device and before the ghost could do anything about it, he was bound by the goo, mouth included and hurtling to the floor. Awesome!

Relaxing a little, the professor took the time to look down at his shoulder wound. It was bad, he knew that much. The skin that had once been covered by shirt had been blown away, exposing mangled and singed flesh underneath. In a few places, Eli couldn't work out what was flesh and what was shirt. If he weren't currently pumped up with adrenaline, he would most probably have been rolling about on the floor screaming. Stupid ghost.

The memory hit him like a smack in the face. Taking a deep breath, the professor advanced on the trapped ghoul in front of him. If he remembered correctly, it was this guy who had that... antidote thingy. If that ghost kid was willing to risk his life for that vial, it had to be important. The muffled protests of the guard... police guy or whatever he was, made him all the easier to find. Eli couldn't help but compare this ghost to a pirate... he guessed it was something to do with the eye patch and the bandanna on his head.

"Excuse me," the professor mumbled, searching the pirate's body for the vial. All he got in reply was a rather scary scowl.

_There._

"Aaargh!"

The ghost kid!

Eli shot back to where he had last seen the two ghosts, armed with the purple vial and the baton. It had come in handy once. Who was to say that it wouldn't again? As he reached the clearing, he spotted the kid pressed against the grass with Walker's heavy boot crushing his chest. The professor recalled seeing the boy's chest seeping with that green blood stuff and was hit with a sudden jolt of sympathy.

"This is it, Danny Phantom. You're mine," Walker announced darkly. The boy squirmed under the man's foot but it was no use, Eli could see that.

… Wait... what did that ghost call him?

Eli's eyes widened in realisation as he pieced it all together. The same voice, the same wounds, the same name... and now that he looked closer... the same face.

But how was that possible?

Just as Eli began to ponder, the kid was lifted from the floor by an oversized black glove and hurled into a tree a few metres away. The man heard a grunt before a dazzling white light engulfed the ghost kid. It happened right there in front of him.

The bright green eyes melted into startling blue ones, the snow white hair blackened and the jumpsuit transformed into a loose hanging blue t-shirt and even looser black trousers. The glow vanished.

"Danny," Eli whispered, taking the youngster in. Frozen with shock, the man could only watch as his badly wounded friend pulled out a battered Thermos from behind him and aimed it at Walker.

"Recognise this?" Danny asked, threateningly. For a moment Eli thought that he was talking to him as he did in fact recognise the polka-dot Thermos that he had given up to the ghost kid about an hour ago. As he looked over to Walker however, he could tell that the Thermos meant so much more to him. For a moment, Eli could have sworn he'd seen fear seep into the ghost's eyes.

"But that's impossible..." he growled, backing away from the human Danny.

"Turns out, I can make a few rules myself. Poisoning Aiden? That's against them."

_Aiden?_

Before Eli knew what was happening, a pale blue light burst from the cheap Thermos. To his greater surprise, the light began to wrap itself around Walker and pull him towards the cylindrical container. The light vanished. Walker was gone.

Whatever composure Danny had managed to gather for the end of the fight, instantly faded and he fell forward burying his head in his arms. His body began to shake and it didn't take long for Eli to hear the sobs.

That was his cue.

"Danny?" Eli moved towards the weeping teen slowly so as not to startle him. Danny's head shot up, tears streaking through the dirt encasing his face.

"Eli!" The boy scrambled back a little, eyes widening with fear.

_He knows I know_. Eli stopped moving and just stood there. He didn't want to scare Danny any more than he already had.

"The stone..." Danny's eyes shot to the unconscious ghost at the other side of the clearing. "It was you." The teen looked back at his friend. Eli just nodded. He blamed adrenaline again for the fact that he was currently so calm. He'd just fought and beaten three abnormal ghost creature thingies and discovered that the small kid he met only a few days ago had turned out to be one of them himself; he was handling this way too well.

Maybe he was just sobered by the fact that said kid was in desperate need of his help.

Danny grasped at the tree behind him, painfully pulling himself up. It was all Eli could do to not rush over and aid his buddy.

"Why did you help me?"

Eli blinked. Of course it was a standard question and he really should have expected it. He just hadn't really thought about it before now.

"Because it looked like you needed it," he answered eventually. It was the truth. He couldn't have watched that Walker guy and his... goons take the helpless kid away to who knew where. Eli was pretty sure that Danny probably wouldn't have come out of it. He knew what the kid was really asking though. Why did he help a complete stranger who wasn't even human?

Danny stared at Eli for a period of time, obviously trying to work things out in his mind. The teen wiped at his eyes, drying them off before taking a staggering step away from the tree.

"Thanks." The teen turned and began moving further into the wall of trees.

"Danny, hang on." Eli walked a little closer to Danny as the boy stopped. "I don't really know what this is... but I'm guessing it's pretty important." The man pulled out the vial and held it up so that the kid could see it.

Instantly, something resembling hope flickered in Danny's eyes.

"You got it!" In his haste to reach the vial, the kid seemed to completely forget about his ailments and was only reminded of them when he tripped and had to cling onto Eli to stop his face from connecting with the floor. "Heh, sorry..." Danny stood back up and brushed himself off.

Eli handed Danny the vial.

"How?" The teen stared down at the vial in his hands. Eli smiled.

"Turns out, I'm a pretty good ghost fighter."

It was Danny's turn to notice something as he examined the psychology professor.

"You're hurt." He was of course referring to the gaping hole in Eli's shoulder. The teen's face creased in concern and guilt. Eli just scoffed.

"Have you seen yourself lately?"

Danny laughed hollowly as he looked down at his battered body. "I guess I look pretty horrific."

"Understatement."

Danny shuddered, reminding Eli of how cold it really was out here. Before he could offer a ride home or the hospital or anything, the blinding light was back, travelling across Danny's body, changing him from human to ghost. The man could only stare as Danny slowly rose into the air.

"Eli?" The ghost... Danny moved a tiny bit closer to the man. "Please, don't tell anyone." Eli only had to take one look at the boy's face to tell that he was being deadly serious. It held the same kind of fear that he had seen in Danny's eyes the second the teen had realised Eli had found out.

The professor nodded slightly. "I promise."

There was a pause in which ghost and man looked intently into each other's eyes, Danny, to work out whether or not he could trust Eli, and Eli, to convince Danny that he could. It was Danny who eventually broke away. Leaning down, the boy picked up the Thermos that contained the scary ghost guy. Without so much as another glance at the psychology professor, the ghost kid slowly made his way around the perimeter of the battle area, collecting any ghost in the anti-ghost Thermos thingy that he could find. Eli could tell that Danny had been doing this whole, 'fighting ghosts' thing for a while.

When the last ghost had been picked up, Danny returned to the clearing and finally looked at Eli once more.

"Thanks... for everything." He smiled slightly, before painfully making the flight back to Melinda's house.

Eli sighed. It was obvious the secret was a burden to Danny, the man could only hope that the kid might be able to talk to him about it all. Eli had seen so many kids completely mess themselves up just by holding things in. He was paid to stop that from happening, but with Danny? He could tell it wasn't going to be simple. The man watched as the ghost kid disappeared over the trees. He then turned and headed back to his car. His arm was throbbing like crazy, commanding him to take a quick visit to the hospital. What he was going to tell the medics was beyond him but one thing was for sure:

He was going to have a headache in the morning

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><p><strong>Longest chapter I have ever written, so tell me what you think :)<strong>

**Oh and yes, I think it's about time you met my muse, Adam Whitehall. Something that came to my attention the first time he came in was that people didn't really get the whole 'Master Phantom' thing. I can tell you now that it is nothing of any significance. If you go back, even just as far as to the early 20th century, in England a young boy would be referred to as Master by pretty much anyone before he was married. It's basically the male version of Miss. So... if Danny suddenly got married, instead of being called Master Phantom, by Adam, he would be called Mr Phantom.**

**As a rule I don't usually like OCs but I don't mind them if they don't play the main role... or even the second best role in the fiction. So basically, Adam is never going to succeed Danny in importance, nor will he outshine Melinda, Eli, Aiden or Jim. He is a sideline character who may pop up every so often when the block decides to invade. So yeah... don't go into panic stations just yet. ;)**

**Well, if you could be bothered to listen to my ramblings then you have earned my respect. I shall now wish you all a fond farewell. (Credit goes to Windsurf for Beta-ing within a few hours! You're my hero ;) )**

**Ta ta.**

**-Mea**


	12. The CoverUp

******Wow, it feels like forever since I last updated. Sorry about that. So this chapter has been in edit since the third of August. It is all thanks to** Windsurf** that you have what you see here, without her help I'd probably still be rewriting the whole thing :S. All cheer: "Thanks Windsurf!" :D**

**Eep, Doctor Who** **coming back soon: so excited! (Thought I'd throw that in there for you :P)**

**Ah, before I forget, I am going to try and finish chapter 13 within the next three days so that it can go off for beta-ing and get back to you sometime early September. After that, updates maybe few and far between, basically because I am starting my A-Levels and I want to get a good head start. I am most definitely not giving up on Diversity and I have made a vow to myself that I will give it at least half an hour every night. So you will get updates! Don't give up on me just yet! o.O (Whoo, I passed my GCSEs! 3As, 6Bs and 2Cs! So happy :D)**

******Ahem, back to business. Here it is! :D**

**Chapter 12:** The Cover Up

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><p>"It's official. I hate night shifts," Jim mumbled to himself as he got out of his car. It was about six o'clock in the morning and he was only just getting back home after a long night of treating patients. On a normal day, the doctor loved his job; he was saving lives. However, when it came to being dragged out of the house at ten at night, he wasn't the happiest person in the world.<p>

Struggling to keep his eyes open, the man locked the car and stumbled to the front door. He pulled out his keys from his jacket pocket and fiddled with them until he found the one to his house. If Jim could take refuge in anything, it would be that everyone would be asleep right now and he wouldn't have to talk to anybody before curling up in bed and getting some well deserved rest. Dragging a hand through his dishevelled hair, the man opened the door as quietly as he could and slid inside. He had barely gotten the door closed before a creak from the stairs caught his attention.

The man whirled around, curious, only to stop dead. The man's blood turned cold as he took in the bedraggled figure standing on the third step of his staircase. The moonlight streaming in from the window seemed to illuminate the creature, making it seem all the more horrifying. The thing's posture was lax and lacked energy. Its arms dangled uselessly by its sides and its feet were frozen in mid-drag between two steps. The only part of it that looked even the slightest bit animated was it's head which had promptly snapped around in his direction. If Jim squinted, he could see what looked like blood splattered on the thing's torn and baggy clothing. The man's immediate thought was 'zombie' which was swiftly followed by 'Melinda and Aiden!'. If this creature was coming downstairs, had it already gotten them? The thing's face was hidden by shadows, cast by its shaggy deathly-black hair but Jim could tell its eyes were absolutely riveted on him. He slowly reached back and flipped the light switch, not daring to look away.

Only to see the terrifying creature become a rather bewildered-looking Danny, staring back at him. Those same clothes that he had laid out for the kid that morning, now hung off his body, badly torn and covered in dirt. Fresh blood seeped through the bandages that he could see and as Danny awkwardly pushed his hair out of his eyes, Jim couldn't help but compare said hair to a bird's nest due to the quantity of twigs and leaves that decorated it. He looked even worse than he had when Jim had first seen him, and that was saying something.

"I thought you were upstairs with Melinda?" Danny asked, resting his hand on the back of his head. Jim tried his best to find his voice but was still in shock. His mind was very much occupied with trying to sort through the million questions racing through his mind, ranging from 'What happened to you?' to '_You gave me a heart attack!'. _Knowing that he couldn't just stand gawking, the doctor moved over to the coat rack and removed his jacket with slightly trembling hands. He carefully laid the clothing on his rack, taking his time as he regained the ability to think clearly.

"Night shift," he responded shortly, turning back to look over Danny once more. "More late night adventures?" Jim's eyes travelled deliberately down the kid, instantly making the teenager squirm and look away.

"You could say that."

There was something seriously wrong with this kid. Jim knew that. He didn't mean it in a mean or spiteful way, it was just fact. It seemed that, wherever Danny went, trouble came with him. After days of searching for a Danny Sterling on the internet, Jim had come up empty handed. It was obvious the kid had given them a false name but looking through the millions of kids that had recently gone missing would take a lifetime. Jim had decided to give the whole thing a rest for a while and start up again later when his patience was back. It wasn't that he didn't like Danny, quite the opposite. After seeing Danny and Eli together, Jim realised that he was rather fond of the teen.

But he was messed up.

Knowing that it would be pointless to ask Danny what he had been doing, the man instead made his way into the kitchen.

"Fancy a hot chocolate?" he called back into the hallway, pulling out a mug for himself. He needed something warm to relax himself before going to bed. It didn't take long for Danny to appear in the doorway.

"Uh, if you wouldn't mind..." Jim didn't miss the sheepish tone in the boy's voice. It seemed that Danny was still a little bit wary of him. He guessed it made sense. The kid was in a strange house surrounded by people he had never met before. It had only been a few days after all.

"Hot chocolate for two."

The doctor proceeded to make the drinks, gazing thoughtlessly at the kitchen counter in front of him. He was far too tired to do much else. The two stood in silence for a few minutes, the only sound in the room being the kettle boiling. It was only when they had drinks in hand and had taken up opposite sides of the kitchen that Jim spoke up.

"You do know I'm going to have to sort you out before Melinda wakes up, don't you?" The man gestured with a simple head movement to Danny's wrecked bandaging. Both hands occupied with holding his steaming beverage, the boy looked down at himself. To Jim's surprise there wasn't an ounce of objection in the kid's expression.

"Yeah, I am," Danny responded quietly, again simply accepting. Progress?

There was another silence but for some reason neither of them found it in any way awkward. It was almost like the barrier between them had lost some of its strength and was allowing that little touch of companionship to poke through. It probably wouldn't last but Jim didn't mind revelling in it for as long as it did.

"Erm... Jim? Random question... You work in the hospital, right?"

"Uh-huh."

Danny looked down into his mug, trying to avoid Jim's eye.

"You don't happen to know anything about... Eli being there... do you?"

Jim frowned. Yes, he did but how did Danny? Eli had stumbled into Jim at the hospital entrance. The doctor had wanted a moment of fresh air, away from all his patients and had gone outside. It had taken him by surprise when the psychology professor parked his car right in front of him. Eli had come out looking flushed and sweaty. Naturally Jim had been worried and had called him over, asking him what was wrong. The professor claimed to have been attacked by some sort of spirit.

Eli had wasted no time in tearing off his jacket and showing Jim his shoulder.

At first, Jim thought that the man was pulling his leg. There was nothing there but a few nasty bruises. When he had pointed this out, Eli went quiet. The man just stood there for a full minute, staring down at his arm with an unreadable expression on his face. He really had been convinced that he was hurt.

The doctor had two theories, either Eli had had a vision, like the ones Melinda got on a regular basis, or he'd had some odd dream. Eli had gone home in a daze, saying absolutely nothing other than he needed sleep. Perhaps the guy had been delusional.

Now he wasn't so sure.

"Why do you ask?" He chose his words carefully, trying to avoid sounding confrontational. Danny just shrugged keeping his eyes trained on his drink.

Jim hesitated.

"He came in at about one this morning"

This didn't seem to surprise Danny in the slightest. The only reaction Jim got was the tightening of the boy's lips. That was another thing about Danny. He was completely unreadable at times.

"How bad is it?"

"There's nothing wrong with him."

That got the kid's attention. Danny's head shot up, his startled eyes meeting with Jim's.

"What?"

"There's nothing wrong with him. He's perfectly okay."

Danny's eyes narrowed and he looked down into his cup.

"But... his shoulder... I saw it..." Danny mumbled quietly to himself.

"How could you have seen it?" Jim asked softly, earning a blank stare from the child. In an instant, Danny realised that he had spoken a little louder than he maybe should have. Jim watched as the colour drained from his face.

"I... uh..." Danny put his cup down on the table beside him, running a hand through his hair. The doctor waited patiently, also freeing his hands from his mug. After a long and, on Danny's part, painful silence, the kid gave in.

"Okay, I'll tell you... but you've got to promise not to tell Melinda." The intensity of the kid's stare was enough to extract an immediate response.

"I promise."

"Right..." Danny took in a slight breath. "When I was out with Aiden yesterday..." he began, speaking very slowly. He paused to clear his throat. "We found this clearing. I couldn't really explore it that well with Aiden there and so I decided to go back later. Eli called at about seven to see how everything was going..."

Yes, Jim knew about that bit. It was part of the whole 'looking out for Danny' mission. It was a new instalment, but everyone was hoping it would be effective.

"... I told him about the clearing and my plan to see it at night and he told me that if I wanted to go, I'd have to let him go with me... It had to be late to make sure that Melinda was asleep so he picked me up at half past eleven and drove to the wood." Danny stopped and just stared at the floor, deep in thought. So far, Jim was convinced that the story checked out. There was no reason for him not to. It made sense.

It still didn't explain Eli's non-existent injury though...

"What happened in the wood?" the doctor prompted, wanting to know what it was that Danny had seen. Danny kept silent for a moment more, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"I don't know. It happened so fast. I think we were attacked... We found the clearing but when we got there... This happened," Danny gestured down at himself. "I think Eli got shot or something... I don't remember... I just remember him being hurt."

Jim was instantly alarmed. Eli had said something about spirits attacking. Didn't Melinda say that there was some kind of ghost attached to Danny? Had she done this?

"Did you see who attacked you?" The severity of his voice was enough to get Danny to look at him. The boy frowned.

"No. I didn't... Sorry."

So Eli _was_ hurt? If so, how had it healed up so quickly? If what Danny said was true, then Eli had every right to be confused. The attack probably affected him as much as Danny but he had been far too out of it to really express any of his fear. Maybe it had affected him in a different way...

Well wasn't this an interesting turn of events? He had promised Danny that he wouldn't tell Melinda anything... but this seemed too big to hold back... maybe if he edited Danny out of it somehow... He could always tell Melinda that Eli had gone out on his own... but then he'd have to collaborate with Eli to get the story to work.

"Uh... Jim?" Danny's voice broke the doctor out of his thoughts. He looked down at the increasingly uncomfortable looking teen in front of him before making up his mind. This just had to be ghost related and although he didn't plan on breaking his promise to the youngster, Melinda needed to know about Eli.

"I'm with you. What do you say we clean you up and then we both try and get some sleep?" The man forced a smile and steered Danny out of the kitchen and up the stairs, missing the look of utter relief on the teenager's face.

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><p>"All right, I hope your daughter likes it." Melinda smiled as she finished bagging a beautiful porcelain doll. The middle aged woman in front of her grinned back, her bleached blond hair falling in her eyes.<p>

"So do I," she rasped back, retrieving the doll from the shop owner. "Thank you."

Melinda watched silently as the lady exited the shop. She had a lot on her mind. She was worried about Danny because he had claimed to be feeling ill this morning and was currently holed up in the house with Jim, who was pretty much dead to the world. As usual, his night shift had completely wiped him out. She was also currently worried about Eli. Jim had told her all about what had happened last night. She knew that Eli had been led by a ghost to a clearing in the forest and had possibly been attacked there. However she still wasn't convinced that Eli hadn't just been having visions. He'd never had them before but Melinda knew from experience how their gifts could develop. Jim seemed persistent on convincing her otherwise but when she had phoned Eli earlier, he was disorientated and couldn't tell her anything.

Then there was also the fact that she hadn't seen that ghost girl around recently. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, it could mean that she had crossed over. Something told her that that wasn't the case however. The girl seemed far too adamant to cling onto Danny. If she wasn't haunting him, then who was she haunting? At first, she had thought that the girl had moved onto Eli when she heard about the incident, but the vision that Eli had had... it didn't fit. Melinda had already seen her death, and the two scenarios didn't match.

She was pretty sure she was missing something. Eli had his vision in the forest in a clearing. Didn't something happen to her in a clearing earlier in the week?

She didn't have time to think about it before the room suddenly got a touch colder.

"Has she finally gone?" Melinda turned to see a tall man in a black tuxedo. "I thought we'd never get rid of her."

"And you are?" Melinda asked tiredly. She had enough on her plate right now. The man appeared on the other side of the counter, leaning his elbows on it's cool service.

"Adam Whitehall. I believe you have heard of me," Adam responded smugly. Of course Melinda had heard of him. His grieving girlfriend was donating his stuff to the store next week. The woman let her eyes skim over him, taking in his glossy black bow-tie and glossier brown hair. The weirdest feature was his eyes. They were simply grey yet despite their cold colour, they seemed to hold a hint of warmth. This of course contrasted with just about everything about him. Even his accent gave off a hard edge.

"Tall, arrogant, English. I think I have."

Adam disappeared and reappeared a few meters away.

"You forgot handsome." The man smirked, tugging proudly at the collar of his tailored jacket. Melinda just rolled her eyes. Noticing he wasn't getting the attention he wanted, Adam shrugged, suddenly back, leaning on the counter. "You're a pretty hard woman to get hold of, Mrs. Gordon."

Well that was a new one with the amount of ghosts she had following her around at all hours. It wasn't as though she had been free of them recently.

"You must have me confused with someone else."

"Always around people. If you're not bringing someone to help you work, you're dealing with a customer or conversing with a friend of yours. Then there's that ghost girl invading your house, and then last night: the one night she's not there, I get caught up in something else." Adam sighed dramatically, not losing his smirk for a second. Melinda suddenly understood. She'd dealt with spirits like this before. This ghost wanted her attention all to himself. He couldn't deal with sharing with someone else.

Suddenly a thought hit her.

"Wait... What were you doing last night?"

The man's smirk grew. "Didn't you hear? There was a ghost fight last night. Never seen one before personally but I'd heard a great deal about them and trust me, it exceeded expectations. So dramatic! Emotions flying everywhere, I'd pay to see it again."

"A ghost fight?" She frowned, resting her hands on the counter that separated her and Adam. Wouldn't that just be like a normal person fight but invisible? Well, to everyone but her and the ghosts that is. Throwing objects at each other wouldn't do anything as ghosts weren't solid. The objects would just pass harmlessly through them. Unless one ghost was trying to control the other? She had seen that before... But a ghost fight that other ghosts had fun watching? What was all that about?

Adam brushed some invisible dust from his suit, drawing out the silence for dramatic effect. He then grinned.

"A ghost fight. You missed out, Mrs. Gordon, it was spectacular!" Suddenly, the man transported to the other side of the store, and became engulfed in an imaginary sword fight, dashing around the room like a lunatic. "The kind-hearted, brave, wounded half-ghost hero verses the cruel, calculating, larger-than-life full-ghost villain. Even your friend Mr. James got in on the action and I must say, he was quite the underdog." The man stopped moving leaning against the shop window wearing his cocky grin.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hang on. What? I don't get it. Did you say half-ghost? And what was that about Eli?" Melinda was pretty sure she felt a headache coming on. None of what this over-blown, pompous creep had said made any sense.

"Wait. You don't know either? You are both pretty much standing on each other's toes and you have no idea. Oh, this just gets better." Adam chuckled.

"What are you talking about?"

"The half-ghost. You don't know?"

Melinda just shook her head. Within an instant, Adam was standing centimetres behind her.

"Phantom not ringing any bells?" he whispered, directly into her ear. Melinda blinked. Phantom! She had met him in a clearing in the forest. The same forest that Eli was in last night. The vision must have come from him. 'Kind-hearted, brave, wounded half-ghost hero'? The boy had seemed nice enough, a little skittish which contradicted the brave but the more she thought about it the more he matched. The ghost had appeared to be badly injured, although, she was pretty sure that ghosts couldn't actually get hurt. Any problems or impurities of the body were completely wiped away in death. If you'd lived your whole life in a wheel chair, as a spirit, you'd be able to walk. You were fixed, that was just the way it was. It was impossible for Phantom to be in as much pain as he looked. Then there was also his cliché super-hero get up. The jumpsuit just screamed comic book.

That left half-ghost. What did that even mean? How could you be half of a ghost? If you were only half ghost... what would the other half of you be? Angel? It wasn't possible for it to be anything living. You were either dead or alive. Simple as that.

Adam was once again at the other side of the room, this time examining a floral antique vase.

"You know, you really should pay more attention to the little things," he murmured, pushing his hand through the vase experimentally. It wobbled slightly. Melinda watched not really sure what to make of the man's cryptic advice. She decided to go back to her previous thought.

"What exactly is a half-ghost?" Adam glanced over at her before focusing back on the antique.

"What I really want to know, is how you can help me to crossover."

That wasn't an answer she had been looking for. She moved around the counter to get a little closer to him. She wasn't letting it go just yet.

"Okay then, you mentioned Eli. What happened to him last night?"

Adam shot her an unamused look before vanishing and reappearing stretched out on her antique sofa.

"Mr. James was attacked by ghosts. Now if we could just move on..."

"But how is that possible?" Melinda asked, cutting him off. "How is it possible to be attacked by ghosts? I mean sure, they can throw stuff at you but... Eli's injury... it just disappeared." If Adam was saying that Eli was attacked by ghosts and he had watched it happen then the possibility of it being a vision that Eli had experienced had gone. So what _had _happened?

"Look, I do not know the details. All I know is that he got hit by some sort of pink laser and then a little while later the wound was gone. Getting past that..."

"Pink laser? Why would a ghost have a..."

"Oh for heaven's sake! Are you going to keep asking me questions I don't know the answers to or are we actually going to get somewhere this evening?" Adam exploded, jumping up from his seat. Melinda could have sworn she'd seen steam coming from his ears. Looked like this guy had some anger issues. As if to annoy him that little bit more, the door to the store opened and Ned walked in, looking pretty excited.

"Hey, Melinda," Ned greeted as he walked in, completely oblivious of the spirit that seemed about ready to blow a gasket.

"Oh, _fantastic_." Rolling his eyes, Adam moved back to his vase.

Melinda ignored the irritated ghost, her attention zeroing in on the laptop Ned was carrying. The laptop could only mean one thing. "Hey, you have information?"

"Yes, I do." Ned took the seat behind the cash register and placed the laptop down on the counter surface, opening it up. "I think I've found out how Eli got hurt. There's this website called 'The Unseen Universe'. It basically has articles on any supernatural topic you could dream of. Here's what I found."

"Ironic really, is it not? I complain to you about your never being alone and voilà! You get a visitor."

Ned turned his laptop slightly so that Melinda, coming around behind him, could see the page. Unfortunately, her view was blocked by a seriously irritated Adam, who had disappeared and reappeared standing between Melinda and the very interesting, very informative screen.

"Okay Whisperer, it is time to find out what your priorities are. Why don't you show this young gentleman to the door and we can continue our little chat. No hard feelings, as you might say."

Melinda hesitated, looking Adam over. She understood his annoyance; he had come for help and she'd asked him too many questions. But he knew more about what was going on around here than anyone and she felt that he was the only person she knew of that could answer some of those vital questions. If she asked Ned to leave her alone for a bit, she might get those answers but Adam was arrogant and annoying and often downright rude which made him all the more irritating to be around. Yes, she had an obligation to help him out but right now, she had other things on her mind and spending time with the ghost would probably only serve to put her in a sour mood. She couldn't deal with him. Ned had brought her a gold mine of information – willingly – and was sitting there expectantly, waiting for her to step through the ghost he couldn't see and read over his shoulder. She made up her mind and walked right through Adam, causing the ghost to growl in outrage.

"Oh, stuff you." The ghost vanished. Melinda knew he'd be back. He had to return if he wanted to crossover and she had been getting strong hints that he did. She'd get her answers then... she hoped.

"Visible ghosts?" the shop owner read aloud, frowning.

"It says here that there are some kinds of ghosts that people can actually see. It mentions this place... Amity Park, that apparently has ghosts flying around every day." Ned turned his head to look at Melinda, his face a picture of excitement.

"When you say _'flying'_ around..."

"I mean _actually_ flying. There aren't any pictures, but apparently these ghosts have the ability to fly and shoot beams out of their hands and stuff. They're like your typical super villains."

Melinda frowned. How was that possible? Spirits didn't fly. They stayed firmly routed on the ground just like the living. It had something to do with the gravity pull on their spectral forms. Shooting beams out of their hands?

"Are you sure this isn't just some kid messing around on his computer?" It went against everything she knew about ghosts. Something had to be up. Ned shook his head and turned back to his laptop.

"The site has strict rules, you have to be part of the website to write a section and even then you have to have supporting evidence. The cool part of this article though is that these ghosts are actually physically here."

Melinda, who had previously been pacing thoughtfully behind Ned, froze. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean they can actually touch stuff! You could shake hands with them and you'd actually be touching them. It's just like they are living... but with some enhancements."

Melinda thought about it. A whole other kind of ghost... was it just like a different breed? Never in her time with spirits had she heard anything about these 'Visible Ghosts.' Wait... what was it that English guy had said?

"Does it say anything there about half-ghosts?" Maybe that's what Adam had meant when he mentioned the 'half-ghost hero'. Ned typed it into the site's search box. The page came up empty.

"You can take that as a no," he murmured. "What's a 'half-ghost'?" Melinda sighed and resumed pacing.

"I don't know. It was something a ghost said to me. Apparently Eli got caught up in some sort of ghost fight."

"Well, that would make sense." Ned tapped on his keyboard a little before looking over the page he had just opened up. "It says here that the energy beams these ghosts send out are made up of pure ectoplasm. If a living person got hit with one of the beams, it could cause the same kind of injury you'd expect if someone threw a ball of fire at you; it can be pretty bad. Thing is, the injury only stays for up to ten minutes before the ectoplasm starts reacting with the living body. It kind of cleans itself up. Apparently the visible ghosts are made of the stuff and it gives them the ability to heal quickly. Having ectoplasm in a living person: it's the same effect. The ectoplasm heals the wound, leaving only a few bruises in its place. It's a flaw in the ghosts' design, I guess."

_Wow_. That was a lot to take in. It went against everything she had ever believed in. Spirits were harmless unless they decided to perform some supernatural telepathy on you. The idea that they could actually physically harm somebody with an... energy beam? It all sounded a little comic book. But Eli was proof. It was too much of a coincidence. Jim told her Eli had been attacked by spirits and alerted her of the phantom injury. It would be stupid of her to not believe. Melinda sighed, digging the heels of her hands into her eyes.

"Right. So there are other ghosts out there made completely of ectoplasm. They can be seen and felt by anyone. They shoot beams from their hands and then any injury they inflict is gone within a few minutes. Did I get it all?" she asked, peeping out from behind her hands.

"You forgot the flying part," Ned responded with a smirk. He was enjoying this a little too much.

"How could I forget that?" In all honesty, Melinda was starting to feel a little light headed. It was all very confusing. It seemed, whenever she got to grips with ghosts, some new discovery would come along and she was thrown back into uncertainty. It annoyed her so much. Why couldn't the supernatural pick some rules and then stick to them? It would make her life a whole lot easier. Crossing her arms, she started to form a plan of action.

"We're going to get to the bottom of this," she muttered out loud. Ned's smile grew. He knew that look on Melinda's face. The-thoughtful-yet-determined look. It always came before the adventure.

"What's the plan?"

Melinda hesitated before looking him in the eye. "Find out as much as you can about these ghosts. I'm gonna talk to Eli and see what he remembers about last night." She paused again, looking out of the window to the sky beyond.

"And then I'm going to find Phantom."

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><p><strong>I just want to thank everyone for all the support that I am getting. Your amazing reviews and your favouriting Diversity and alerting to it, they all mean so much. I know fanfic authors are always saying this but, I literally couldn't do it without your support. You've kept Diversity alive within me and I'm so glad that I can share with you the love and excitement of it all. Fanks! :P<strong>

**So, I think that's enough of the corny for one day.**

**If you've got any questions or are having any trouble with this fiction or just this chapter, PM me and let me know, I'll try to help as best I can and I promise I wont bite! ^^**

**Thanks again!**

**-Mea**


	13. The Second Meeting

**Hey people. I promised I'd update faster and I did :) Granted this wasn't as fast as I anticipated but I haven't quite managed to get it beta-d yet. I thought that I'd post it as it is and hope that you lot can help me out a little. ;) (Word of warning: The second section was written before the first so if it seems a little disjointed... that is why.)**

**Here we go!**

**Chapter 13: **The Second Meeting

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><p><em>Well this is awkward.<em>

Danny was sitting at the dining room table, staring blankly at the young boy across from him. Aiden stared back. Apparently, since Jim was in bed and Melinda had gone to work, he was in charge of the five year old. So far, he wasn't having much luck. If it were up to him, he'd be upstairs in his bedroom playing on the Xbox he'd grown quite fond of. Unfortunately the majority of the games were unsuitable for young children, which meant that those had been ruled out. Then there was the fact that Aiden didn't seem too keen on sitting in front of a screen for the next few hours. They'd been sitting here for about ten minutes... looking at each other. It wasn't as fun as it may have sounded.

"So... uh... Aiden," Danny trying to break through the silence.

"Yes?"

"What do you usually do for fun around here?" The younger boy stared back at him for a while, thinking through his answer.

"We could draw some pictures. I like drawing."

"Anything else?" If there was one thing Danny couldn't do, well, besides Math, English and pretty much any other school subject you could throw at him, it was draw. Granted he'd be up against a five-year-old, but it still wasn't something he really wanted to do. Aiden paused again, taking a thoughtful peak out of the window.

"Ooh!" He suddenly squealed, making Danny jump. "I want to play super-heroes!"

"Super-heroes?" Danny asked dully, already hating the sound of the game.

"Yeah. We could have super powers and fight crime and stuff." The kid jumped out of his seat and dashed over to Danny's side, almost yanking his arm out of its socket. "Come on! It'll be fun!"

Drawing had never sounded more appealing.

Danny couldn't help but remember how weak and close-to-death Aiden had been the previous night, as he was dragged through the hallway and out into the garden. It was seriously hard to believe that this lively bundle of energy was the same person. That antidote seemed pretty miraculous. He still couldn't get over Walker poisoning someone. Murder had to be against the warden's almighty rules. Was Walker really prepared to scrap all of his beliefs, just to get at the halfa?

"So, if you could have any super-power, what would it be?" Aiden asked innocently, dashing over to sit on his swing. Danny didn't really know how to respond. The fact that he had half a dozen 'super-powers' already kind of killed the excitement. Not that playing make-believe with a five-year-old was exciting in any shape or form.

What was it normal people would go for? Invisibility, he had it. Laser beams, old school. Flight, mastered. So then. If he was going for a power he didn't have...

"Ice powers, I guess," he responded finally, awkwardly taking up the swing beside the younger boy. Ice powers could be pretty cool, freezing something just by touching it. He could roll with that. Aiden blinked up at him before turning away and pulling his most thoughtful face.

"Hmm... I'm going for ghost powers."

"Ghost powers, huh?" Danny tried to keep the smile from his face. It was ironic, really.

"Yes. So, I can go invisible and then poof from one spot to another and go through stuff and..."

"Fly?" Danny asked, cutting the kid off mid sentence. He couldn't help but find it funny how Aiden was talking about ghost powers centimetres away from a half-ghost. Aiden shot Danny a sharp look.

"Ghosts don't fly," he reprimanded, shaking his head at Danny's obvious ignorance.

"Oh, no. Of course not." In his defence, Danny was trying really hard to stay serious. Aiden obviously had a strong belief over what ghosts were and what they could do. Apparently in his world, ghosts _couldn't_ fly.

Kind of like Adam. Danny frowned but wasn't allowed to dwell on the thought for much longer before Aiden started talking again.

"Okay so, pretend that I am Ghost-kid and you are... Freeze-guy... Hmm... what else?" The boy hopped off of the swing and started pacing in front of Danny. "Ooh, we can be brothers! That means we get to pick a really cool ending name! What do you think it should be?" Aiden stopped pacing and stared at Danny expectantly. Danny blinked.

By ending name, he guessed Aiden meant surname and feeling the pressure of the kid's gaze, Danny said the first thing that came into his head.

"Uh... Smith?"

Aiden's look said it all. Danny half expected him to face-palm any second but the kid just settled with a horrified expression.

"No. We need something new and fresh and daring and... I've got it." His face lit up. "Phantom!"

Danny almost choked on his tongue. "Say what now?"

"Phantom. Think about it. It's awesome. Aiden Phantom, because obviously, a phantom is like a ghost and I have ghost powers and then Danny Phantom because in the game you're my brother." Aiden explained, oblivious to Danny's discomfort. "Hey, that actually sounds pretty cool! Danny Phantom... Like it was meant to be. You know, that's what I am calling you from now on. Danny Phantom." The kid giggled then moved over to the tree. Now this was getting a little close for comfort. The ghost powers, 'Phantom'... this couldn't be a coincidence. Something was going on here and he wanted to know what it was.

Breaking Danny from his thoughts, Aiden let out an odd little battle-cry and started attacking a non-existent enemy.

"You shall never beat me villain! I am Ghost-kid!" Danny watched as the child jumped back and forth as though at war. He was struck by a sudden thought. Wasn't Aiden a little young to be playing superhero, what with the whole 'no violence until you're older' thing? When Danny had been Aiden's age, he had been more focused on playing rocket ship. Melinda didn't seem like the kind of person to let her son in on the world of Superman and Robin... or whatever. He'd never really cared for comic book superheroes, especially as of late. They were all 'Don't worry, I'll save you! I can beat back any foe', where as Danny was more of a 'I'll just give it a go and hope that I don't die in the process' kind of guy. It had worked for him so far.

"Hey, Danny are you playing?" Aiden asked, halting his game for a moment. Danny sighed and rolled his eyes. The brain work could come later. Right now, he had a five-year-old to entertain.

"Er... no need to fear... Freeze-guy is here?"

* * *

><p>He didn't know why he was here. Maybe it was to check to see that he hadn't left any evidence behind. Maybe it was to prove to himself that he had once again, gotten the better of one of his ghostly enemies. Or maybe he just wanted to closure. Danny knew he didn't really need a reason but he couldn't help but want one.<p>

It had just been an urge. To come out and check over the clearing that had acted as his battlefield – it was something he needed to do.

The serenity of the place didn't really feel right. Just last night he was out here, fighting with all he had against Walker to save Aiden. He'd expected the place to be a wreck. He'd expected to see fallen trees and dents in the floor where he had crash landed. He hadn't anticipated the rabbit family in one of the warrens to still be there. If he were them, he'd have fled a long time ago. But no. There they were, nibbling on the grass to his right. There were no marks on the floor and all of the trees were completely upright. It looked exactly as it had when he had first seen it. Well, other than a few scorch marks here and there. It just wasn't normal. The clearing had to be pretty darn resilient to withstand all that happened.

Danny closed his eyes. The cool feel of his ghost half seemed to settle his haywire emotions a little. Despite playing with Aiden all morning and telling Jim that he was all right; that the 'attack' hadn't left any lasting damage, he knew he was so very close to falling apart. After everything with his family, Danny found himself to be rather unstable. He shouldn't have fallen for Walker's trick. He should have known that the ghost had never meant to cure Aiden. It was only luck that Eli had been there to get the antidote and that he'd been back in time for it to work. Aiden's light was nearly out. His head just wasn't right. How long would it be before he made another stupid mistake? Maybe next time, he wouldn't be so lucky and someone would end up hurt.

He still couldn't believe that Jim had fallen for his 'attack' story. The kid was pretty sure that the only thing that saved him was the saying he had heard once on some cruddy television show: 'The best lies are the ones that are hidden within truths'. So he'd done that. Tried to tell the truth as much as he could. Eli _had_ called earlier in the day and they _had_ been attacked. Then again, Jim did seem pretty eager to believe Danny's every word. Maybe it had something to do with Eli healing so quickly. Jim was so desperate to get an answer that he had clung to the first lead thrown in his direction... Or maybe Danny had been spending too much of his childhood around Jazz and her psychological mumbo-jumbo. Biting his lip to kill the now familiar wave of desolate loss, Danny opened his eyes again and drifted out of the clearing and into the cover of the trees.

He didn't get much further before a familiar voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Phantom?"

_Melinda?_ Danny instantly turned himself invisible and whirled back around to peek through the wall of trees that made up the circumference of the clearing. There she was, still wearing the long white dress she had left in that morning, covered only in a thin black leather jacket. The boy wondered how she wasn't cold. It had been freezing when he'd left the house after lunch. What took Danny most by surprise however, was the figure standing beside her in a thick navy blue overcoat. What was Eli doing here? For a horrible moment, Danny thought that Eli had told. Melinda had come out looking for him to tell him that she knew and that he couldn't stay with her any more because of what he'd done to Aiden. He shook it off however when he realised how ridiculous that sounded. Melinda wouldn't be out here calling for 'Phantom' if she knew. She would have driven home and confronted the human Danny instead.

"Are you here? I want to help you."

Wow, how medium did she sound now? She reminded him of those people that went into old creepy houses and called out for the ghosts to 'send them a message'. If he wasn't so nervous, he may have laughed.

"Phantom?"

Maybe he should just leave, Melinda would give up trying to find him and they'd all forget about it. The ghost had no doubt that she had linked the ghost him to Eli's mysterious injury. He couldn't help but wonder how much Jim had told her. Hopefully the man hadn't mentioned him in the retelling; that could make things a little awkward.

"_Phantom?_"

Then again, it couldn't hurt to see what she wanted. If anything it could turn out to be rather amusing. Puffing up his chest to make himself look bigger and more important, Danny walked out into the clearing and materialised a few feet away from Melinda.

"Have you ever heard of the term: 'Rest in peace'?" Hey, if he was playing ghost, he might as well throw in the death puns. Melinda looked him over, clearly unsurprised with his sudden appearance. Slightly disappointing but never mind.

"Somehow, I don't think that applies here." The woman glanced pointedly at Eli. The man was just standing there looking awkward and staring at the floor. Odd. But Danny got the message.

"That depends on your interpretation, I guess." Personally, he was rather fond of his comment. Melinda smiled slightly... more in an amused way than a happy way. She took a few confident steps towards him. If it had been anyone else, except maybe Eli, that had advanced like that, Danny may just have freaked out. Melinda was a nice enough person... a little loopy but still nice. He was pretty sure that he could trust her.

"You never told me how it was you died," the woman stated, suddenly all morbid.

"You never asked."

"And you didn't give me time to."

"Oh... right... yeah." Now he remembered. He'd been losing his grip on his ghost half.

"So?"

"Er, lab accident. Wrong place at the wrong time sorta thing." Well, it was kind of true... in a way. He'd become half ghost in the accident. The wrong place at the wrong time thing could easily be translated as the wrong button in the wrong invention... right? He must have said something wrong however because Melinda's face melted into a frown.

"Then, what are you doing all the way out here?"

"Just taking a stroll really. It's kinda _serene_ out here, don't you think?" Oh yeah, he could use cool words too. The boy could tell as he looked his host over, that she wasn't quite satisfied by his answer. Eli still wasn't really doing anything at this point, other that shuffling his feet in some odd little dance.

"Serene... right." Melinda paused, scanning the clearing. "Can you tell me what happened out here last night?"

"Last night?" _Okay, keep it simple Fenton_. "There was a ghost fight."

"A ghost fight between who?"

"Eh, just me and another ghost." Trying to look suave, Danny lifted himself into a cross-legged position five feet off of the ground. A flicker of surprise passed Melinda's face before she broke out into a challenging smile.

"Eli, why didn't you tell me you could see Phantom?" _What?_ Danny looked over at Eli, confused. Why wouldn't Eli be able to see him? Eli appeared to be rather uncomfortable with the sudden turn of the conversation. He pulled a face, eyes darting from Melinda to 'Phantom'.

"What? I didn't tell you that? How strange. It must have completely slipped my mind... Hello.. Er... Phantom?"

"Hey..." Okay, so Eli was an even worse liar than him? Well that was a pleasant turn of events. "Uh, Melinda?" The still smiling woman glanced back at Danny.

"Yes?"

"Why _wouldn't_ he be able to see me? Is he like... supernaturally blind or something?" What? He was confused. Melinda narrowed her eyes, clasping her hands together in front of her.

"No, nothing like that... well okay, something like that but... It's a long story."

"Right." Yup, loopy.

"Don't worry about it." She let her eyes fall on Eli, who was still cringing, before tuning her attention back onto Danny. "So, is that how it happened.? Eli got hit by a passing ectoplasmic energy blast? That's what it's called isn't it?"

The boy frowned. He wasn't quite sure what she was getting at but she'd given him a great cover up for Eli's injury. "Er, yeah. A passing energy blast. Right on his shoulder..." Danny pressed a hand against the back of his head, trying to hide his nerves. It was kind of true. Eli _had_ been hit by an energy blast... he just wasn't so sure that it had been by accident. If Walker's goons had found him helping Danny, he had no doubt they would have shot before asking questions. Not that Melinda needed to know that.

"Well that's one mystery solved." She unclasped her hands, placing them on her hips instead. "So here's the next one."

_Bring it on._ He'd handled one inquiry, he could handle the rest.

"What exactly is a half-ghost."

_Thud_.

Danny landed hard on his bottom. "I'm sorry, say again?"

"I'm asking you what a half-ghost is. That's what you are, isn't it? Half-ghost?" She frowned again, her eyes trained unblinkingly on the kid.

How on earth could she know that? He hadn't even told Eli yet. Did she have some sort of sixth sense? No, that was stupid. So then what? She had to have been told about it. But no one around here knew...

Adam.

Boy was that ghost going to pay.

"Well?"

If there was ever time for a clever lie, it was now. Danny looked wildly into the sky, silently willing it to give him some sort of answer. It didn't. He let out an exasperated sigh, before pulling himself up.

Seconds later, a cunning smile spread across his face.

"Isn't it obvious?" It was a long shot, but he was open to it.

"Not really."

"Haven't you ever heard of that TV program? _'Two and a Half Men'_? The half man refers to that kid." _Please work._

Melinda looked completely at a loss. "I don't get it."

Danny sighed again, this time for dramatic effect.

"Think about it. He's half a man, I'm half a ghost. It another way of saying kid... basically. I'm guessing you were talking to Adam. He's far too posh to refer to me as a kid. Child might work, but that's not his style. Everything's a riddle, right?" Wow, he was on a roll.

Melinda seemed pretty conflicted. Trying to act cool by leaning, cross-armed, on a tree, Danny prayed that she would accept his spontaneous lie. He was pretty proud of it. After what seemed like a lifetime, the woman smiled.

"Everything's a riddle." She nodded before moving closer to Danny. "Would you mind... if I touched you."

The boy blinked a few times, trying to understand the question. "Why?" Shrugging, Melinda continued to advance.

"I've never touched a ghost before. I want to know what it feels like. Can I, please?" She just got crazier by the second. Danny thought about it a moment, edging away from her slightly. She looked as though she was up to something. All this talk about being half-ghost had set him on edge. Maybe he should just take this chance to get out of there. Invisibility was always an option.

Then again, what harm could letting her touch him in ghost form do? It wasn't like she'd be able to hurt him or anything. If she made a move, he'd just go intangible and fly away. She had said please.

"Uh. Okay," Danny murmured wearily. He watched as the woman, now only a few inches away, reached forward to touch his chest. As her fingers made contact, it happened.

_The pain. So intense. So agonizing. Tearing through his very being. Zapping every cell in his body like lightening._

_Waking up, afraid and dazed. Looking in the mirror to take in what he'd become. The fear, coursing through him at his unnatural appearance._

_Fighting for his life against ghosts and hunters, looking for a target. The pain and fatigue he felt every night as he fell into unconsciousness after another day of attacks._

_An explosion, tearing apart a whole city block, suddenly overwhelmed by an onslaught of anguish and loss._

_Hollowness and shame, running away from the very town that he had lived in his whole life. Followed swiftly by the feeling of a wild animal being brutally hunted by those stronger._

Danny leaped back, eyes wide and focused on Melinda. What had she just done? Had she seen any of that? From the equally shocked expression on her face, he'd say yes. Before he could stop them, tears tumbled from his eyes, trudged up by the onslaught of flashbacks. Seeing it all clumped together like that only made the memories hurt more. His hand clenched by his sides as he desperately tried to reign in his emotions. That was it. He could stay here any longer. Melinda just stood there, staring back at him with a pained look in her eye.

"Phantom..." But he was gone.

* * *

><p><strong>Ooh, the drama!<strong>

**So, do you think Melinda bought the whole 'half-man-half-ghost' thing? O.O**

**Wow, I think that is the most reviews I have ever had for a chapter (Chapter 12)! Thanks for that! :D**

**Back to school now so updates will be dodgy. I am actually writing a sideline fiction at the minute as well but that probably wont be uploaded until next year. Harry Potter x Danny Phantom though, so that should be fun! ;)**

**I think I'm done talking... Hope you enjoyed chapter 13...**

**Au revoir!**

**-Mea**


	14. Coffee Break

**Hello and welcome to another un-betad (Unless you count my mother's proof reading) chapter of Diversity. I'm actually quite impressed that I managed to get this out so soon. Like I mentioned last time, I've started back at school and yes, it is just as hectic as I suspected it would be so it's really just luck and pure procrastination that has got us here tonight** )

**So again, this chapter isn't huge in action - like the majority of the fiction but there is just so much to put in before the big stuff starts!** **As always, there are bits that I like and bits that I don't like so it's up to you to decide whether you like it or not :P**

**This is where I stop talking :P**

**Chapter 14: **Coffee Break

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><p>"How long does it take to get a coffee?" Danny mumbled to himself, staring out of the store window. He was starting to regret ever offering to do this stupid job. He could be out there practising his flying right now. Instead, he was sat behind the cash register bored out of his mind whilst Melinda went out for refreshments.<p>

The only consolation was that, as of tomorrow, he wouldn't have to wear clothes twice his size. Melinda had volunteered to take him out to buy some clothes of his own. She was closing the shop for the day as well, which meant that he didn't have to 'work' for a day. Always a benefit really.

Despite her being her normal chirpy self this morning, Danny could tell that her mind was pretty much in the same place as his.

Last night.

It had taken all he had not to make a run for it that evening. He had been seriously creeped out by what had happened when Melinda had touched his chest. Those memories where ones that he was trying very hard to hide from himself. Having them exposed like that to someone he had only known for a matter of days was scary. The only thing that really changed his mind was that they hadn't shown anything relating to his human half. His secret was still secret and, lets face it, it was either Melinda or Plasmius.

At least he knew that she couldn't enforce visions on him as Fenton. It was kind of impossible not to make contact with someone when you were living in the same house as them. All he had to do was make sure that she didn't touch him in ghost form again. Since he wasn't planning on seeing her in ghost form ever again, that should be fairly easy.

Sighing for what seemed like the hundredth time, Danny absent-mindedly started twirling a coin that Melinda had left on the counter, like a spinning top. He almost wished he was baby-sitting Aiden again. Luckily for the five-year-old, his dad was taking care of him.

_Dad._

Okay, he seriously needed to stop doing that; linking just about everything with his deceased family. Danny coughed to kill the ache in his chest. What took him by surprise however, was the cool mist that left his mouth when he did so.

Groaning, Danny banged his head down on the counter and planted his hands in his hair. He so did not need this right now. Maybe if he ignored the ghost for long enough, it would just go away.

No such luck.

_Crash!_

Danny's head shot up and he took in the scene before him. There stood Adam, at the other side of a room, looking amusedly down at a broken vase at his feet.

"Hmm... interesting." As though feeling Danny's gaze, Adam glanced up. "You did not need the vase for anything, did you?" he asked, lightly kicking aside one of the shards. Danny rolled his eyes and fell back on the counter.

"Not personally," he mumbled into the wood. He heard Adam laugh, closer than before.

"No, I suppose not." There was a long silence. Danny really wanted to believe that the quiet meant Adam had left, but the continuous cold feeling in his chest told him otherwise. Eventually, he sighed.

"What are you doing here?" The boy pushed away from the counter, almost falling off of his chair in the process. Adam was now sprawled out on the sofa looking as though he owned the place. He smirked.

"Am I not allowed to visit?" he mocked, looking down at his perfectly well kept finger nails. Scoffing, Danny leaned back in his chair.

"Not after what you did to me yesterday."

"Yesterday?"

"Telling Melinda I was half-ghost. Not cool, dude."

The man's smirk grew as he caught on. "'Cool' was never my intention. And, correction, I told Melinda that _Phantom_ was half-ghost. The human you was never implied. Don't get your knickers in a twist."

_Knickers in a twist? Who even says that?_

"It's basically the same thing. Just stop with the hints okay. It's my secret and I don't need you spreading it."

"Oh, come on, Phantom. She is going to figure it out eventually anyway. She talks to ghosts and you're living under the same roof. Something is going to give you away. I am merely enjoying myself while I still can."

"She wont figure it out." Danny tried to keep his voice steady. "No one's ever figured it out by themselves and Melinda isn't any better." The boy picked up the coin again and started fiddling with it.

"Eli did it on his own."

"Eli saw me change."

In the blink of an eye, Adam was leaning over the counter opposite to Danny. "No, he worked it out before you changed. You should have seen the look on his face when the warden called you Danny. It was like someone had switched on a light-bulb. Truly heart-moving."

_Eli worked it out?_ Danny frowned. He remembered how calm Eli looked when he had called his name. He was almost comforting, like he had already accepted Danny for what he was. If anything he'd looked concerned. Danny guessed that maybe if Eli had found out in the change, he might have been a little more horrified. Ah, whatever. It didn't prove anything.

"Even if that's true, it doesn't say anything about Melinda."

"Maybe I need to help her out a little more then." Adam grinned and shot to the entrance of the store. Danny felt his face go red.

"Don't you dare."

He didn't get a response before the door to the store flew open and Melinda walked in.

"Hey, sorry I took so long. There was quite a..." The woman froze as she spotted Adam.

"Morning." Adam greeted, a huge grin dominating his face. Well, this couldn't get much worse.

"...queue." Melinda finished. She held Adam's gaze for a second longer before breaking away and refocusing on Danny. Not wanting to prompt Adam any, the teenager had taken to completely ignoring him.

"Are you okay?" he asked, noting how agitated she suddenly looked.

"What? Oh, yes! Yes. I'm fine." Melinda walked up to the counter and laid the drinks on its surface. Danny took the bottle of cola and began passing it from hand to hand trying to let off some steam. Adam stayed by the door, keeping his mocking eyes on Danny. _Ignore him_.

"Any customers?"

The teen shook his head.

"Right." Stiffly, Melinda moved around to Danny's side of the counter and started deliberately shuffling papers. The teen glanced at her. This surely wasn't normal behaviour. Adam noticed too and, naturally, decided to play on it.

"Okay, it's one thing to not return my greeting, but ignoring me completely? That's just insulting." he mocked, now leaning on the customer side of the surface again. Despite the fact that it was no longer him on the other side of the smirk, Danny was still extremely irritated. Why couldn't this guy just go away?

Melinda glanced at the ghost before looking back down at her papers.

"Ah, I get it." Adam's smirk grew. "You don't want the child thinking you're a loon. It's okay. I understand. Then again..." The ghost's eyes slid over Danny. "He doesn't look that sane himself."

Unbeknownst to Danny, just for a second, the teen's eyes burned a bright green. He bit his lip, trying ever so hard not to respond. He didn't want to give the creep the satisfaction of seeing him all riled up. Melinda didn't say anything.

"You know. On closer inspection, young _Sterling_ doesn't really seem normal at all."

Danny shot him a warning look but Adam didn't really seem to care. He suddenly appeared right behind Melinda and leaned in, looking over at Danny with amusement dancing in his eyes. "Don't you think there's something almost... _ghostly_ about him?"

Before he really knew what he was doing, Danny shot a small energy blast at Adam out of his finger.

"Ow!" Adam cried out, rubbing his side where he had been hit. He reappeared again near the exit. Melinda, who had previously had he head deep in her paperwork looked up in shock. "Ow?" she asked, quietly. It didn't take long for Adam's grin to return. He winked at Danny as if to say: 'now you've done it'. The teen scowled and looked down at his hands. As long as Melinda hadn't seen the energy blast, he was safe. From the looks of it, she was still completely oblivious. She must have continued staring at Adam for a whole minute before she slowly turned to Danny.

"Hey, um, Danny?" She spoke slowly and thoughtfully.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think you could go to the café down the road and pick me up a coffee?" Danny frowned and looked down at the still steaming beverage across the counter.

"But you just got one..."

Melinda paused.

"Yes. But it doesn't taste right. I don't like it. Sorry. You wouldn't mind?" She didn't give Danny the time to respond before she handed him some money.

Was this seriously happening to him _again_? He'd only done two days of work for her and both of those times she just happened to kick him out whenever someone else came along. Did she not trust him or was there just some huge secret that everyone else but him knew? Danny glanced from the money cupped in his hands, to Melinda, to Adam. Well this sucked.

Standing up, Danny walked around the counter, toward the exit. If he thought about it, he knew that Adam probably wouldn't say anything to Melinda about his secret while he was away. Where would be the enjoyment in it for him then? If he ever was going to tell, it'd be whilst Danny was around, just so as he'd get to see the look on the teen's face when his biggest secret was spread out for the world to see. Or Melinda in any case. Still, there was that itching feeling in the back of his mind telling him that leaving those two together wouldn't be one of his smartest ideas.

As saw it though, he didn't have much of a choice. Adam was grinning at him like a mad man as Danny walked towards him. Feeling extremely angry at this point Danny went for the only fight back he could think of. Very deliberately, the boy barged into the man's shoulder, causing the taller man to stumble. If he wasn't so distracted with plotting cruel revenge pranks, he may just have heard the near inaudible gasp coming from Melinda's direction.

* * *

><p>Eli still wasn't quite sure what he was doing out here, parked outside Melinda's store - staring at the door.<p>

You see, life in Eli's head was rather difficult at the minute. Like when you're at a football game and there are thousands of voices shouting different things all at the same time. There were so many emotions and so many questions running through his mind that he was really struggling to get a grip.

Half-ghost. That's what Melinda had said. Come to think of it, it kind of suited Danny. Who else could turn into a spirit in a flash of light and then change back again? He guessed that was the confusing thing. Was Danny a ghost able to appear human, or a human able to appear ghost? Okay so human wasn't really the best way to describe his living state. Eli guessed that in ghost form, Danny was still human... he was just a dead human. If he was dead.

Despite having seven years of experience, Eli was still pretty new to all this paranormal stuff. Take the difference between him and Melinda. Melinda had known about ghosts since a very young age. She'd seen them from birth. Compare a lifetime to a few years and there was a pretty big experience gap. So all this ghost business still made his head hurt on occasion. Now was most definitely one of those times.

One thing Eli did know for sure about Danny, was that he was a good kid. He'd never do anything to hurt anyone- unless you counted evil child poisoning ghosts. So really, there wasn't any reason to let slip his findings to Melinda. After what he'd seen a few nights ago, Eli was pretty sure that Danny was one of the safest people to be around.

But Eli was still scared. He didn't want to be. He knew Danny was safe as houses but... something about it didn't feel right. It was creepy. Boys just don't all of a sudden turn into ghosts. It wasn't natural. Danny definitely couldn't have been born that way. Something huge must have happened in his life. Eli thought back to the moment Melinda had touched Danny. She'd had a vision. He knew she had. The way Danny had disappeared told him that he had shared what she had seen. The only issue was, Melinda wouldn't tell him what that was. That wasn't like her. Normally she wanted all the help she could get on a mysterious case like Danny's. Eli could tell that she hadn't found out about the kid's double life from the way she had looked. There was sadness and pity but no shock or confusion. Danny's secret was safe.

Eli sighed and ran his hands through his hair.

"Darn it, just go!" Eli growled at his hands. They didn't respond. The man glanced over the clock on the dashboard. Ten minutes of staring at a door. No wonder he couldn't get a girl friend.

Despite his rather aggressive attempts of self persuasion, Eli stayed sitting.

He hadn't seen Danny in his... _living_ state since that night. He'd even skipped out on the evening phone call, claiming that he was out doing... something or other.

He felt quite guilty about it but he just couldn't bring himself to pick up the phone. It seemed that the calm acceptance he'd adopted when he worked it out was only temporary. The shock and disbelief he thought he'd avoided was catching up with him and it was blinding.

_Okay Eli, get a grip. So, your new friend turned out to be 'half-ghost'? It's not like you haven't dealt with weirder. _Then again, come to think of it... _had_ he ever dealt with weirder? What could be weirder than being dead and alive at the same time?

Taking a deep breath, Eli rested his head on the steering wheel. He knew Danny's deepest secret and Danny trusted him with it. That had to mean something.

Danny was alone in the world and needed someone to be there next to him, as a friend.

Gritting his teeth, Eli lifted himself back up and looked at the door again. He nearly had a mini heart attack when Danny emerged from the store looking rather riled up. It was as though fate or whatever was screaming at him to get it over with and man up.

_It's now or never. _Taking a deep breath, Eli reached for the door handle and got out. Danny was walking at quite a pace so Eli had to jog a little to catch up with him. It turned out jogging also helped to stop him from turning back. He soon caught up with the teen.

"Hey, Danny!" the man panted as casually as he could. Danny turned to look at him, confused but still angry looking.

"Oh, hey," he mumbled back distractedly. He continued walking. Eli quickly adjusted his speed to match the teen's.

"Listen, I really need to talk to you." The man tried to walk a little ahead of Danny to get the boy's full attention but it didn't seem to be working very well.

"Huh?" Danny frowned, pausing for a second. He then caught on and quickened his pace. "Right. Yeah. I'm kind of busy right now so can it wait until later?"

"Uh... What about tonight?"

"I have plans," the boy responded instantly.

"Right..." Well this was awkward. They walked for a few seconds in silence before Danny eventually slowed down .

"We could maybe talk tomorrow." Danny looked across at Eli with a small resigned smile on his face. Eli took it as an invitation and nodded.

"Sounds good. Great. Yeah..."

"You can walk with me if you want. I'm getting Melinda a coffee." Eli couldn't help but wonder at the resentment he heard in Danny's voice – as though 'getting Melinda a coffee' was some sort of trauma. He decided not to get involved.

"Ah, actually, you know... I've just remembered somewhere I... uh... have to be." Eli stammered. Danny frowned.

"Ah..."

"Yeah..." The man grimaced. "So tomorrow?"

With a nod, Danny disappeared into the crowd ahead of Eli.

_I have somewhere I have to be?_ What kind of lame excuse was that?

Why couldn't he walk with Danny, you ask? He just really didn't think that he could really deal with the teen until he properly understood what was going on. Tomorrow he'd know. He was determined.

* * *

><p>"Did he just...?" Melinda stood, open mouthed, staring at Adam. Adam smirked and leaned up against the door casually.<p>

"Did he just what?"

"Did he just... walk _into_ you?" the woman blatantly ignored Adam's mocking gaze, staying frozen to the spot. She knew what she had seen but she also knew that what she had seen shouldn't be possible.

"I think 'barged' would be a better word. Walked sounds too... accidental."

Melinda frowned and looked out of the window at the spot she had last seen Danny. By this point, he'd been swallowed by the crowd so there wasn't really much to look at.

"So what you're saying is that Danny can see and _touch_ ghosts?"

"And hear, smell and even taste, I guess if he felt like it. I would question his sanity there though... I think those are the five senses, are they not? I am a little rusty."

Melinda took a breath and sat down on the chair that Danny had not so long ago vacated. Making actual _physical_ contact with a ghost was unheard of. Except, maybe if that ghost was like Phantom. But Adam wasn't like Phantom. He wasn't tangible. This was like some whole new discovery.

Melinda remembered Professor Pane telling her about near-death experiences giving people spiritual gifts, but he had never mentioned anything like Danny. Melinda shuddered to think what life would be like for her if ghosts could actually make contact with her. All those times she had been terrified by some malevolent spirit... what if they could have actually physically hurt her? She probably wouldn't be alive right now. How did Danny cope?

Then she remembered the state that he was in when he first walked into her store nearly a week ago. Could a ghost have done that to him?

Maybe that was his big secret.

Sighing, Melinda placed a hand on her forehead. All this thinking was starting to hurt.

"Adam, what do you know about Danny?"

"I am sorry?" The ghost blinked, momentarily stunned by the break in silence. Melinda turned her eyes to him.

"What do you know about Danny? You mentioned something about him being 'ghostly' and he bit back. What do you know that I don't?" Adam quickly caught on and relaxed back in his seat with his confident smirk.

"Oh, that comment? It was just a little joke between him and I. He interacts with ghosts, therefore, naturally one would call him ghostly."

It didn't seem so natural to Melinda. "There's something you're not telling me." The woman murmured warningly, rather like a mother would reprehend a child. Adam just shrugged.

"If there is, it is probably for a good reason."

Melinda was about to object when something else caught her eye.

"Did you break my vase?" she asked, a threatening note to her voice. Adam suddenly grinned and stood up.

"I think that is my cue to leave. Say goodbye to _Sterling_ for me wont you?"

Melinda didn't have time to respond before Adam vanished. How one ghost could be so annoying was completely beyond her. Okay, so she was going to have to work Danny out herself. That could turn out to be... interesting...

First call of action: reveal all ghost related secrets and hope that he will too.

Melinda didn't get much time to think about it before Danny threw himself against the front door and entered the store.

"I got it," he murmured distractedly. Watching the boy's eyes dart around the room in search of Adam, Melinda leaned back in her chair.

"That's great, thanks." She gestured for him to put the coffee on the counter. Danny slowly obliged, still examining. Eventually he seemed satisfied and relaxed.

Sighing, Melinda pressed her hands together in concentration. If she was going to ask, why not ask now?

"Er, Danny... I need to talk to you about something."

Suddenly, the teen's eyes filled with alarm. "Oh?" Once again, his eyes passed over the store.

The woman paused.

"You know what. It can probably wait until tomorrow... Would you mind helping me clear this up?" Melinda pointed at Adam's mess. She needed time to think about what she wanted to say to him. Coming out with: 'I know you can see ghosts' wasn't exactly the most tactful of starts. If she left it for a bit, it would prepare both her and Danny. The boy seemed relieved by the offered escape and gratefully took hold of it, retrieving a broom from the opposite side of the room.

She'd talk to him tomorrow and then he'd know he wasn't alone.

* * *

><p><strong>Ah, I know, my chapters seem to be getting shorter and shorter but in chapter but the shorter the chapters the faster the updates! ... Or something like that...<strong>

**So, tell me what you think! :D**

**-Mea**


	15. Define Ghost

**Whoo! Look who's back! I'm getting the hang of this monthly thing! :D So here we are... chapter 15... Wow...**

**So I've been reading some really awesome fictions recently and I have to admit, I'm starting to think my update record is pretty poor. I am, of course referring to a certain ****_'Lynse' _****who is the brilliant writer of the Danny Phantom x American Dragon fiction ****_'Mirrored'_****. Updates almost every week! *Envy eyes* I, unfortunately do not have this ability, as you can obviously tell. So basically it is my mission to spend at least four hours on a weekend working on Diversity so that, hopefully I should be able to half the time it takes me to update. Emphasis on hopefully there. Don't hold me to it ;)**

**This is a longer chapter than the past few and I'll admit that it is also rather emotional at points. I can, however, assure you that things pick up drastically for Danny after this and there will be (again, hopefully) more laughs than tears in chapters to come. I think it's about time something good happened for him :)**

**Wow... sorry for that long intro... I'd better cut to the chase now...**

**Oh! Last thing! I own 'Extreme Jump 3'! It is not a real game so don't go out looking for it because it doesn't exist. I made it up :P **

**Chapter 15:** Define Ghost

* * *

><p>Danny sighed as he looked in the mirror of the changing room. Out of all the clothes he had looked at today, these had to be some of the worst. Why was it that just about every store in this town, sold only designer clothes? If there was one thing Danny liked, it was his comfortable, casual jeans and t-shirt. Sure they had a few t-shirts and it was pretty much denim galore but... well it just wasn't the same. Take what he was wearing now for instance: a purple t-shirt with an intricate explosion of green swirls in the centre and a pair of dark black-grey jeans. Sure, it would probably look great on some other kid but for Danny? It was just trying too hard.<p>

"And another no," he groaned, peeling off the t-shirt. A large pile of discarded clothes completely swamped the little pink stool. He wasn't looking forward to cleaning up that lot.

Glancing sideways back to the mirror, Danny silently observed his bandaging. The area around his chest and stomach was still very tender, probably made worse by its recent aggravation with Walker. He had to admit though, ever since Jim had been treating him, he'd been feeling a lot better. Thinking about it, it was very nice of Jim to offer to do it every morning. He'd really have to thank him sometime.

Dumping the shirt onto the pile, he went to remove the jeans.

"Hello deary." Danny yelped and yanked the trousers back up again, hastily wrapping his arm around his pelvis to keep them up. Right behind him stood a very fat, red faced woman dressed in a brightly coloured sun dress. Far too late, Danny's ghost sense went off.

"You don't happen to have seen a little black cat anywhere, do you?" She asked, completely unaware of Danny's obvious discomfort. The only thing keeping Danny from sinking into the floor with embarrassment was the fact that she seemed more interested in looking around the cubical than she was at his complete lack of clothing.

"Er... what?" The boy repositioned his jeans, very aware of the fact that he was currently topless.

"A little black cat. I think she ran in here earlier. Sorry, you don't mind I just..." Not waiting to see if Danny did actually mind, she pushed past him – bearing in mind this cubical was only about two metres by a metre and the woman took up about a quarter of that. Danny was forced back into the velvet curtain and had to be very careful not to fall out of it. Being semi-naked in front of a ghost was one thing; being semi-naked in front of a whole store would be like death itself. He could do without that right now.

"No, not in here..." the woman sighed and turned back to face Danny. Her eyes fell on the boy and travelled down his body as though seeing him for the first time. "Erm, I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but you're not actually wearing a lot of clothing."

Danny could have seriously face-palmed at that moment, had he not had his hands full with his drooping trousers. "Can I help you with anything else?" He asked through clenched teeth.

"What? Oh, I just... Sorry..." She pushed Danny against the wall as she tried to get out from the end of the cubical. Trying to get as clean away from this woman as he could, he quickly shuffled to the pile of clothes he had made. He fastened the jeans up so that he wouldn't have to hold them any more and continued to stare awkwardly at the lady, who looked right back at him. "You know, you're the first person who's actually been able to see me since the accident."

_Lucky me_, Danny thought sarcastically. He began to sort through the pile of tested clothing, looking for his shirt whilst at the same time trying hard to ignore the burning sensation in his cheeks. "I'm actually using this cubical now so... if you could just..." He gestured with his head towards the curtains. The woman blinked.

"I'm looking for my cat."

"So I heard."

She paused and glanced around the cubical again before settling back on Danny.

"How rude of me. I haven't introduced myself have I? I'm Mary."

"Danny," the teen grunted finally locating the shirt and pulling it over his head.

"Danny? Nice." The woman paused again and watched carefully as Danny started to put the clothes back onto their hangers. "You know, I think you'd look a lot better in briefs."

"Okay, you really have to go now." Danny breathed, dropping the shirt he had in his hands to reach out and twist the woman around. It was no easy feat.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry dear, I've seen plenty of men half-naked in my lifetime. I hardly suspect you're any different." Really not what he wanted to hear. He gave her a firm push towards the exit and she seemed to finally get the point.

"All right! I'm going! Just tell me if you see a cat and..." She looked at that halfa from over her chubby shoulder. "Consider blue." With that, she phased out of the cubical. Danny gave a sigh of relief turning back to the items of clothing he had left to sort. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he was feeling rather rattled by the ghostly interruption and this showed in the way he hastily grabbed all ten items of newly hung clothing and blundered out of the cubical.

To his utmost annoyance, the ghost lady was stood off to his left, apparently waiting for him to come out of the cubical. She caught his eye and waved happily, making her way towards him.

"Are they all right for you then, hun?"

"What?" Danny spun to see the member of staff manning the changing rooms. She looked down at him expectantly, her glossy blond hair falling into her face. "Er... No... Sorry." Dumping the clothing into her hands, Danny glanced back over his shoulder to where Mary was still advancing. The boy instantly pushed his way past the staff member – mumbling a small apology – and made a bee-line for Melinda. If they left now, they might be able to lose the ghost. Melinda's attention was currently fixed on a rail of children's clothing; she was probably looking for something that would suit Aiden.

"We need to go," muttered Danny quickly to his host over the rail. Melinda looked up and blinked curiously. However the teen wasn't really in the mood to explain himself as he darted towards the exit, not giving Melinda the chance to even ask.

"Danny?" He heard Melinda shout from behind him. From the closeness of her voice, he could tell she was following. "Danny, slow down."

But Danny didn't slow down. If anything, he sped up a little. After a few seconds, he saw what he was looking for. Not taking any notice of Melinda's numerous requests for him to stop, Danny slid behind an over-sized oak tree that blocked him from the view of the store. Now all he had to do was stay here for a few minutes until the ghost lady got bored and moved on.

"Danny!" Melinda followed him behind the trunk, gazing at him as though she thought he had officially lost it. Maybe he had. Running from a harmless ghost just because he was immensely embarrassed? What was all that about?

"Sorry I just... had to get away from someone," he murmured truthfully, leaning up against the tree. Melinda looked around the trunk, exasperated.

"What, was it someone you know? Someone you recognised?" she asked.

"No, nothing like that. I..."

"Was trying to avoid me, I believe."

Danny groaned and buried his head in his hands. Mary stood off to the right of Melinda, giving the teen a very disapproving stare.

"Honestly, I tell you that you're the only person who can see me, ask you to help me out and then you just go running off. No respect for the dead, I tell you."

"You criticised my underwear!" Danny countered, pulling his hands away from his face and leaving them rigid by his sides. Mary sniffed.

"I only suggested that you try briefs. It was an innocent comment." She folded her arms and continued to stare at Danny. The teen was pretty much ready to explode with embarrassed anger. Melinda was literally inches away and he was sure that his face was radiating enough heat to melt metal. What was more, she had this highly amused expression on her face which, if anything, made Danny feel a whole lot worse.

"I don't think innocent is the right word for it." he grumbled, sliding down the tree to land on his bottom. What kind of person, dead or alive, just walks into an occupied changing room cubical? Definitely not an innocent one. What was all this about only him being able to see her anyway? Melinda was staring directly at her.

There was a long and uncomfortable pause in which Melinda stared at Mary, Mary stared at Danny and Danny glared at the floor.

"Hello, my name is Melinda Gordon. What's yours?" Danny blinked and looked over at Melinda. What was she doing? Mary turned her attention to the woman and her disapproving scowl melted into a warm smile.

"Hello Melinda, it's Mary. Mary Smith." Her arms dropped from her chest and fell loosely at her sides like over-sized sausages.

"It's nice to meet you Mary. Tell me, can you see a Light?" Melinda clasped her hands together just over her stomach in a rather formal looking way. Mary sighed dramatically and shook her head.

"No. And I know why so you don't need to ask me that. You see, when I was alive, my daughter bought this little black cat, called it Maisy, lovely little thing. Well what happened was that on the day of the accident I had brought her into town to get her groomed. It was supposed to be a surprise for Helen but obviously it didn't work out that way. Anyway, we got into the cat groomers and everything went brilliantly, they even gave little Maisy a pretty purple bow."

Danny frowned and glanced over to Melinda, wondering why on earth she was still willingly listening to this.

"Well, when we got of the groomers, lovely place, I'd recommend it to anyone – The Claw and Whisker if you're interested – I decided to take a short cut to the car. You know the back alleys round behind Harvey's Hardware?" Melinda nodded. "Well since I'm not really a huge fan of walking, this short cut was perfect. Well, it was until someone had left one of those sewer grate things open. Fell right through it, I did. Bashed my head, never woke up again. That's one thing I wouldn't recommend doing. Wasn't fun, I can tell you."

Mary paused and scratched her head, as though musing with the thought. Danny leant forward and tried to catch Melinda's eye. He wanted to know what they were still doing there listening to some dead woman's life story... or death story... whatever you wanted to call it but Melinda kept her gaze fixed on Mary.

"So anyway, we were talking about the Light weren't we?"

"Yes, we were." Melinda confirmed politely. Danny rolled his eyes and fell back against the tree, accidentally banging his head in the process. _Ow_. He rubbed the sore spot with the tips of his fingers.

"Well it's like this. When I fell, Maisy had the brains to jump out of my arms and stay on the pavement. Thing is, poor little kitten, she doesn't know the way home. She's still out here somewhere in the town. Remember I said that Helen didn't know I was taking Maisy out so there's a notice out around our street appealing for people's help. She won't even think of looking around here. She's already lost a parent, I want her to at least have Maisy. So really, I need to find the cat, take her back to Helen and I'm pretty sure that Light'll pop up, brighter than the sun. Always been a believer me, can't wait to see all of my years of prayers come together in the Light."

Danny snorted, perhaps a little too loudly. If this was the Light that he thought they were talking about then they were both very wrong. There was no such thing. How did he know? You don't get this far into being part ghost without picking up on the sad fact that there was no magical place you were admitted to after death. Unless you counted the Ghost Zone but that wasn't really the kind of paradise this person was looking for. If there was a light, he'd've seen it. He was sure.

Obviously both of the women had heard Danny's sounds of disdain because they were both staring at him like he had told them the moon was made out of cheese or something.

"Do you have a problem with the Light?" Mary asked dangerously, her eyes narrowing in accusation.

"How can I have a problem with something that doesn't exist? I mean, come on. A mystical Light that takes you to the Great Beyond? It's just something made up by people who want to believe there's something bigger going on in the universe."

An unrecognisable expression flickered across Melinda's face – something between mild shock and... pity? Danny looked back at Mary who kind of resembled a steam-train at this point; he could've sworn that was steam coming out of her ears.

"Okay, I don't know what you have against the Light, but to insult the very people who are great enough to believe in it and even those who have seen it, that's crossing the line, boy." She took a menacing step towards him but Danny wasn't scared in the slightest. He'd defeated Pariah Dark – the king of all of the Ghost Zone; he wasn't about to be intimidated my a middle aged cat minder. He glowered right back at her.

"I do have a name."

"Well I don't think you've gained the respect to be addressed by it. Look at you, a mere half-life. You might not have seen the light but that doesn't mean that others haven't."

_Half-life._ She knew. Danny shot a quick glance at Melinda who, thankfully seemed to have missed the term of address. He then looked back at Mary, unaware that his eyes had flashed a very bright neon green.

"Look lady..."

"Mary, I promise you we'll try our best to find your cat." Melinda placed a firm hand on Danny's shoulder as he attempted to get up. "We'll ask around. You don't need to worry about it any more." The woman smiled comfortingly, not once releasing her grip on Danny. Mary continued to glare at Danny for a few seconds before looking back at Melinda and returning the smile.

"Thank you. If you find her, meet me back here. If I find her, I'll come and get you. I appreciate your help. It's nice to know that _some people_ have manners." She huffed and vanished on the spot. Without hesitation, Melinda took her hand from Danny's shoulder, instead grasping his hand and pulling him up. She then spun on her heels and began walking away.

"Melinda?" Danny frowned and followed her, unsure what to make of her abruptness. When he'd caught up to her, she pointed to a shop in the corner of the street.

"They sell clothes in there if you want to check it out," she announced, continuing to walk away from the shop she'd just alerted him to.

"Where are_ you _going?" asked Danny, painfully aware of how wounded Melinda had sounded. It was like his fight with Mary had hurt Melinda but he couldn't quite put his finger on why. Unless she was also a strong believer but then, why would his not believing it upset her? Surely it wasn't that important.

"I have a cat to find. I'll meet you here in about half an hour."

The teen paused, staring at her retreating form. "Okay, look..." He didn't get to finish his sentence before Melinda whirled back around and stared at him in the eye.

"How come you are so determined to believe that there is no Light?" she asked, with an odd kind of gentleness. Danny pressed a hand against the back of his head. He couldn't exactly tell her the truth.

"It's complicated. I just can't believe in it. I mean, it's okay if you do, I don't have anything against it." Sighing, Danny looked away. Maybe he should just shut up. Melinda continued to stare at him with that disconcerting look.

"How long have you been able to see ghosts?" she questioned suddenly. Danny blinked.

"I'm sorry?"

"How long have you been able to see ghosts? Have you seen them your whole life or has it somehow developed?" Able to see ghosts? Couldn't everyone see them?

"Er, a few months I guess." That's when the ghost portal was activated anyway. "Your talking as if seeing ghosts isn't normal." Danny let out a little nervous laugh before hastily turning it into a cough. Melinda frowned.

"Well it's not, for most people. Only a small minority can make contact with the dead. I thought you might have picked that up by now."

"So you're telling me that no one in this street could see that cat lady?" The teen threw his arm back to gesture to the spot Mary had been standing less than a minute ago.

"That's exactly what I am telling you."

"What? Are they all like, blind to the supernatural or something?" This didn't make any sense. Since when could people not see ghosts? Life would be a whole lot different in Amity Park if nobody could see what was attacking them. If people were blind to supernatural stuff... did that mean that other supernatural creatures, like Vampires or... pixies actually existed? Could only certain people see those too? What if there was a huge monster behind him now and he had no clue? Danny shot a nervous glance over his shoulder, just in case. He didn't notice the odd, slightly bewildered look that had flickered onto Melinda's face.

"They just don't have the same gifts as we do." She responded passively, staring at Danny like he was some difficult sudoku.

"Right, yeah, gifts." Danny scoffed. It was his amazing 'gifts' that had gotten everyone he loved killed. _Gah, don't do this to yourself again Fenton, not in front of Melinda._

Instantly, Melinda's face softened and she took a step forward, placing a comforting hand on Danny's arm.

"Listen, I know what it is like. Having these... abilities that no one else does. It can take over your life. Possibly even destroy it. I _know._" She paused and took a breath, staring down at the floor. She slowly removed her hand. "I've seen ghosts since I was born. My whole life has been solely for the purpose of helping spirits with their unfinished business. I've helped hundreds of them crossover and, yes I know you don't believe in it but I have helped them find that Light. The majority of my time is spent helping others sort their problems out. The fact that I have any social life whatsoever is astounding and having the family that I do..." Sighing, Melinda fastened her hands together over her stomach.

"I'm sorry I got a little snappy earlier. My existence is devoted to sending people into the Light. It's just hard when someone says it doesn't exist and I kind of thought you might be a little more open minded."

"But, the Light..."

"Is real. I've seen it Danny. I died and I saw it. It's not exactly something I could forget in a hurry and it's absolutely beautiful. It exists." The woman gave a weak smile before looking out around the street. Danny frowned.

"Then how come I've never seen it?" murmured Danny quietly, more to himself than to anyone else. Melinda obviously heard however as she turned her head back to look at him.

"What do you mean?" She asked with a very gentle tone to her voice. Danny looked at her for a second before looking away. Maybe he could get away with another half-truth.

"I mean... a few months ago, I died but, I didn't see any kind of Light. It was just... darkness." That much was true. Just after the accident, Danny _had_ died, in a way. In those few moments after the electricity stopped, he could remember the immense chill that had taken him over. His whole world had been coated in cold and empty darkness and the only thought he had been capable of was: _I think I'm dead_. It had only lasted a few moments but that had been the worst few minutes of his life. Until the Nasty Burger incident that is. That familiar aching pain sounded in his chest and Danny raised a hand to massage the spot. It took him a while to notice that Melinda too had gone quiet. He shot her a glance just to make sure she was okay.

Her eyes met with his and that odd connection they had apparently both experienced intensified. It felt almost tangible, like electricity zapping between them. It wasn't in a romantic way, there wasn't really anyway to describe it. It was just there. Danny blinked a few times before shaking his head and looking away. Melinda's eyes never moved.

"It must have been terrible for you," she murmured finally, looking as though she wanted to comfort him but didn't quite know how. Danny shrugged and kept his gaze firmly on the stone he was attacking with his foot. He really didn't want to talk about this.

"I got over it."

"Yeah." There was a tense silence in which both of them sank into their own thoughts. The stone had finally had enough of being kicked from side to side and flew off out of Danny's reach.

"Danny, listen. I've already told you what I do for the ghosts that I meet. It's the only way I get any peace. Do you think... maybe it could help you?"

Danny blinked and his mind went to Skulker. He thought about what would have happened if he had said yes to what the hunter wanted the first time they'd met. Somehow the idea of being completely free and risking constant attacks was a lot better than being locked away in a cage for the rest of eternity.

"I don't think so." He shook his head again and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Danny... I know they can touch you." Melinda confided, choosing her words carefully. Danny's eyes narrowed. What was she getting at? Then it hit him.

_'__I've never touched a ghost before. I want to know what it feels like' _

She couldn't touch ghosts. At least, not the kinds of ghosts they got here in Grandview. Danny had picked up by now that the two types were completely different. Apparently dying had given him the ability to see these other ghosts. He was pretty much one of them. Kind of.

_Great_, Danny thought, bitterly. _Just another little puzzle piece for her to fit together._ With all the hints Adam had been giving her and his apparent abilities as a living human, she was bound to work it out soon. Danny swallowed uncomfortably.

"Did... did they do this to you?" Melinda asked, breaking Danny out of his thoughts. She gestured to his chest. The teen looked down stupidly at the bandaging that could be seen just over the level of the pale pink shirt.

"I'm sorry?"

"Your injuries. Danny, I've seen the wrath of some of those ghosts. I know how violent they can be. Did they hurt you?" She bent her legs slightly so that she was just below Danny's eye level, obviously still doing her overly caring thing. The only thing the teen really wanted to do was to stop her worrying about him, he was old enough to take care of himself.

"I-" He caught himself before he could say any more as something occurred to him. Did Melinda realise that she had just given him the perfect cover story for his condition? His lips twitched but he managed to suppress a smile. Blinking, Danny gave Melinda the saddest eyes he could muster. "Yes. Yes they did," lied the teen, trying to keep his words to a minimum. Something else he was picking up on: when lying, don't babble.

Whatever Danny thought Melinda's reaction might be to his false confession, he wasn't expecting what happened next. Just like she had on the night she had taken him in, she embraced him. Danny stood there awkwardly, staring ahead in horror. He was painfully aware of how this would look to any passers-by in the street. A mother hugging her child in public. But Melinda wasn't his mother. Another painful stab in his chest made him pull away, shrinking from Melinda's grip. Melinda seemed to realise that she had gone too far when she took a few steps back.

"Sorry. I just-"

"Yeah, I know," interrupted Danny solemnly. He didn't blame her or anything, it just felt wrong. "I think I'm going to have a look at those clothes." Without looking back, Danny turned and walk towards the store she had pointed out earlier.

"Danny, hang on," Melinda called from behind him. He stopped but didn't turn around. "I want you to help me with something. Later, when Eli leaves."

Aw crud. He'd completely forgotten about Eli coming. Just another conversation he'd give anything to avoid.

"Yeah, okay." Giving Melinda a curt nod, he walked away.

* * *

><p>"No! I pressed X!" Danny cried at the screen in front of him as his character back-flipped off of a sky-scraper.<p>

"_Hahahah! You lose!"_ A little fat man had appeared on the screen, pointing a grubby finger just off to the left of where Danny was sat. The teen blinked a few times before falling back into the thick blue and white chequered duvet on his bed. This game hated him, he was sure of it. The teen stared at the ceiling for a while, contemplating whether or not to continue, or find another game that he wouldn't suck at as much.

Groaning, he turned his head and caught sight of his new clothes hanging on the door of the wardrobe. It had turned out that clothes shop Melinda had pointed out, wasn't quite as cruddy as he'd expected. He found quite a lot in there, including six t-shirts, four pairs of jeans and two jumpers. They'd bought other stuff such as socks and underwear quite a while ago so they hadn't needed to worry about that. One thing that had surprised him, was how good the cat lady's advice was. He actually quite suited blue. Sure he still liked red better but he could make room for a few more colours.

Melinda still hadn't told him what she wanted his help with and even though he knew he should be able to trust her, he had a really bad feeling about it all. He couldn't quite figure out what it was she wanted but something about their odd conversation told him that it would be most likely ghost related and if there was anything Danny didn't want, it was for Melinda to link his human half to anything ghostly. Bumping Adam in the store therefore, was probably one of the worst things he could have done for his cover. If he'd known about all this 'normal people can't see spirits' thing, he would have avoided making any kind of contact with the ghost. How hard was it to be a normal teenage boy around here?

Danny rolled his eyes and sat up, staring blearily at the television. To play or not to play? Maybe just one more go...

"_So, you think you're ready for this?" a tall, blond woman asked, blinking her long eyelashes at the taller, white haired character. The character nodded determinedly. "Good. Don't let us down, Ben. Get this parcel to the roof of the town hall, Tony'll be waiting for you. Remember, don't be seen."_

_The mission objective flashed up on the screen._

_Ben ran out from the small room they were in and appeared on the roof of a very tall building. Ahead of him was a strong white light, highlighting the town hall. Without pausing, the character swooped forward and jumped off the roof, landing elegantly on a second, slightly lower roof. Doing a quick sweep of his surroundings, Ben sped towards a blue ladder, making his way up onto a high ledge._

_Before him stood two taller buildings, presenting a gap the size of a small road between them. He paused for a moment and took a few steps back, giving himself space to run up. Then, rather spectacularly, ran and jumped into the gap, falling close to the left wall. Somehow, his feet found purchase in the wall and he was able to jump from it, onto the right. He continued like that – left, right, left - getting higher and further forward as he did so until there was no more wall to jump from. Instead, as he got to the end off the alley, his hands grabbed hold of a zip wire and he was hurtling down onto another roof._

Danny heard the front door downstairs slam shut. He wondered, fleetingly if Eli had arrived but a shout from the TV dragged him back away from reality.

_As soon as Ben dropped onto the roof of the building, he was surrounded by brutish men in blue overalls. Each one of them had some sort of weapon, be it a led pipe or a hammer. They all began to advance, threateningly. Ben waited until they were close enough to touch, before he lashed out, grabbing the arm of one of the men and flinging him into another three of his colleagues._

_A pipe was swung at the characters head, but he was fast, and ducked, causing the pipe to hit a man who'd tried to sneak up behind him. Before the first attacker could lash out again, Ben swept his right leg beneath said attackers feet, causing him to fall backwards._

_Six down, only two more to go._

A knock sounded from Danny's door, causing him to lose concentration for a second. His character got a rather nasty blow to the head because of it.

"Come in," Danny called out, as he tried to rectify his mistake. Slowly, the door opened and Eli, rather awkwardly, made his way into the room.

"Hey."

"Hi." The teen's eyes never left the screen. Eli walked over to the bed and took a seat next to Danny, picking up the empty game case that had been there. Trying to act casual, Eli observed the box.

"'_Extreme Jump 3'_," he murmured admiringly. "Is it any good?"

"It's all right," Danny responded with unintentional bluntness. If he could just get past these shooters...

"Good." If Danny had been paying any attention, he may have picked up on the nervous tone in Eli's voice. The man began to fiddle with the game case. A few minutes passed, and no one said anything. The only sound in the room was the dramatic music and gunfire coming from the TV. Eli placed down the game case deliberately behind him and turned to look at Danny.

"Danny, we really need to talk."

Danny's eyes remained on his game, though his fingers lost a little of their energy.

"What about?" he asked innocently, knowing full well what Eli was talking about. His character was being ambushed again but somehow he didn't seem to have the enthusiasm for it any more.

"You know 'what about'," replied Eli softly. Danny didn't say anything but continued to wrestle with his 'attackers'. "You're half-ghost." The man prompted, keeping his voice to minimal level.

As soon as the words had left Eli's mouth, the little fat man appeared on the screen once more and this time, his taunting seemed more relevant. Danny sighed and looked away, placing the remote on the bed beside him.

"It's not something I'm likely to forget, is it?" The teen surprised himself with the bitterness in his voice. It wasn't Eli's fault. He shook his head. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Eli mumbled, quite unsure of how to approach this. "Listen, Danny. You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to but I need you to know that I am here if you ever do want to talk about anything. I promise I wont judge. I'm on your side." He shuffled uncomfortably on the bed.

Danny knew Eli wanted to know what was going on and he had to admit that, after all the guy had been through Friday night- after what he had seen- he had the right to know. But it was something Danny really didn't want to talk about. The boy frowned and rubbed his forehead as though trying to stop the headache that was already developing.

If he was going to tell Eli about himself, he might as well tell him everything. Danny suddenly grew very nervous and began to shake a little. If he did this, he'd be putting his whole life in Eli's hands. What if the man decided to turn him in? What if he didn't believe that Danny had tried to save his family? What if he hated him?

He let his eyes meet with Eli's. This guy had seen him change. He'd worked out that Phantom was Danny and he hadn't shown any sign of dislike or distrust. He hadn't told Melinda. What if that meant something.

Suddenly unable to stand the pressure of all his secrets, Danny closed his eyes, bit his lip and stood up. He then walked around in a circle for a while before taking a deep breath and looking back at Eli. The man was sat, open legged with his arms resting on his thighs. His posture was rather relaxed but Danny could see in his face that Eli was as nervous as he was. It was now or never.

"No judging... right?" he checked, shakily. Eli shook his head.

"It's a promise."

Danny let his gaze drop to the floor.

"Have you ever heard of Amity Park?"

"No?"

Okay, so this really wasn't going to be easy.

"It's a small town in Illinois, recently declared ghost capital of the world. My parents were ghost hunters but until a few months ago they didn't really have anything to hunt. I mean, we were like every other place in the world; we didn't believe that ghosts existed. Well, no one except Mom and Dad obviously." Danny paused and rubbed the back of his neck. He could not believe he was doing this. "A few weeks after I turned fourteen, my parents built this Ghost Portal which was supposed to be a gateway into the other world.

"The portal didn't work so my parents quit. My friend, Sam, convinced me to check it out. My parents had like, a hundred spare jumpsuits so I pulled on one of those and walked straight into the portal." Another pause allowed Danny a moment to recover. This was hurting him a lot more than he would have liked to admit. Eli just sat, watching the teen closely and waiting for him to continue.

"My hand hit the on switch on the wall of the machine and it just happened." The teen shuddered again, remembering the pain he had felt on that day. "It was one of the visions Melinda saw when she touched me. I got zapped and I turned into this." To emphasise his point, Danny let the familiar white rings pass over him. Eli blinked a few times but again he didn't say anything.

"It was fun at first; learning to fly; phasing through stuff; turning invisible... Then the ghosts started coming out. When I'd turned on the portal, I'd pretty much opened it up to any ghost that fancied coming out into our world. And when I say ghosts, I don't mean the kind you and Melinda are used to. I'm talking about ghosts like the ones you saw on Friday."

Eli listened patiently as Danny quickly explained his life as a ghost fighter and superhero. Never once did he interrupt, not even when the teen started talking about his 'arch-enemy', Vlad Plasmius. He seemed to be taking in all this information pretty well but Danny knew that he hadn't really been put to the test yet. Danny changed back into his human form and slumped down against the wall across from Eli, staring at his hands and wondering whether or not he should go any further. Did Eli really have to know all about the events leading up to his being here? He'd gotten the basic background information, did he really need the complete life story?

"Does it hurt?" Eli questioned, causing Danny's head to whip up in surprise. The guy hadn't said anything for so long, his question didn't seem to fit in his mind.

"Does what hurt?" the teen asked blankly. Eli's lips turned up into a sad smile.

"Talking about it."

Danny nodded.

"Believe it or not, that's a good thing." Turning his eyes to the television screen, Eli folded his arms. "Hurting means that you are still human. It means that the ghost within you isn't completely taking you over."

"But that's not right. It's hurting that is going to make the ghost in me even stronger." Danny burst, without even thinking. He met Eli's gaze again, but this time the man looked really confused.

Wow, it seemed Jazz was right. The mind really did need to offload on people occasionally. Eli quickly returned to silence, observing Danny all over again. The teen sighed.

"A couple of weeks ago, our year got the date for our C.A.T.s. I'd just fought off a new ghost and accidentally phased through our teacher's briefcase that held all the answers. The answer paper got stuck to my back and when I found out it was there I flipped out. I had been stressing over the C.A.T for a few days and the answer sheet seemed like the perfect way to pass the test without failing miserably. That's when the weird stuff started happening. Ghosts we attacking me from the future. Me and my friends managed to grab hold of this medallion from one of them and it sent us to this weird clock tower. When we landed there was this odd screen thing that supposedly showed ten years into the future." Danny hesitated. His entire body was screaming at him to stop. His heart was pumping like crazy and he couldn't stop shaking. The stabbing pain in his chest had been amplified by about twenty and he felt really, really cold.

But Danny didn't want to stop. He wanted Eli to know; he wanted _somebody_ to know. All these secrets were agony and all he really needed was someone who would understand him, someone he could talk to. Like Sam and Tucker.

"It was horrible," he whispered, forcing the words out of his mouth. "_I _was horrible... my ghost half had overpowered my human half and I became some sort of monster." Danny slowly proceeded to tell Eli all about how he had become trapped in the ghost zone and how it had been Vlad that had gotten him back to his own time. He also mentioned the fight between him and his older self.

"I couldn't do it," Danny murmured eventually as he came to the end of his story. "I couldn't save them; I wasn't fast enough. They just... went." The boy pressed his head against his knees. It hurt so bad. He heard Eli raise from the bed but found that he didn't have the energy to even wonder what the man was doing. He found out soon enough though, when he felt Eli slide down the wall to sit next to him. His presence was oddly comforting as he wasn't wrapping the teen up into some huge emotional hug like he would expect from Melinda but at the same time, he was close enough for Danny to feel him there and know that he was there. It was almost like having a big brother.

No one spoke for a while, Danny continuing to embrace his knees and Eli next to him, one leg bent and the other straight, staring forward at the wall opposite.

"Can I ask? After learning everything you have about what Melinda and I do, why are you still keeping all of this a secret?" The man asked eventually, not moving his gaze from the wall. Danny scoffed and peered over his shoulder.

"It's not exactly something I want to spread to the world."

"It's not exactly something you want to keep to yourself, either." Eli sighed then let his head fall back against the wall. Danny could tell that the guy was out of his depth. Who wouldn't be? He just hoped he'd done the right thing in opening up. In all truth, he wasn't that good at it. Maybe if he had been, he would have told Sam how he felt about her. The boy felt his eyes burn and he had to fight like crazy to stop the tears from seeping out. He wasn't going to cry in front of Eli.

"I don't want anyone to know. Not even Melinda. I just... I just want to be normal." The teen stood up, forcing himself not to look at Eli. He hated being seen like this. Walking over to the window, he heard Eli grunt.

"Don't we all."

There was another pause in which Danny continued to stare unseeingly at the tree in the front garden. He needed to get a grip; to get over the agony that plagued him whenever he thought about his past life.

"Tell you what," Eli started, raising from the floor. "I'll not tell Melinda, if you teach me how to play this _'Extreme Jump'_ thing. You know, if you don't get hit with a crowbar first..." Spinning around, Danny looked the man as though he'd just suggested they jump of a building. Eli met his eye and Danny noticed how much lighter they looked than when he had first entered the room. The guy smiled cockily and glanced deliberately down at the remote left abandoned on the bed.

That was it.

Cockiness.

After everything that Danny had told him, Eli wanted to play on a video game. Slowly but surely, Eli's smile replicated itself on the teen's face. He had just officially been accepted. The sorrow that he had felt seconds before instantly evaporated and he smirked.

"You've got a deal."

* * *

><p><strong>Aw, what a beautiful bonding moment :') This chapter hasn't actually been beta-d by anyone else but myself and... admittedly... I have been experimenting a little with the grammar and punctuation... If I have done anything wrong whatsoever, please let me know and I'll try to do better in the future!<strong>

**I just want to remind people of the progress report I have up on my profile page. I do try to update it regularly and I'm promising to update it every Sunday from now on. We'll see how this weekend of writing goes :)**

**Thanks for reading!**

**- Mea **


	16. Ghostly Revelations

**Merry Christmas! Wow, I know this is a little later than I promised but with 4 hours of revision daily you can't really blame me for slacking off just a little, can ya? I don't think 'writer's block' really covers the problems I had with this chapter. Who knew Jim and Aiden sections would be so hard to write?!**

**Right, I'll leave all my left over ramblings at the end of the chapter! Enjoy chapter 16!**

Chapter 16: Ghostly Revelations

* * *

><p>"Whitehall... Whitehall... Whitehall..." Jim let his eyes slide down the list of names on the screen. He still didn't fully understand why he was the one doing this. It was normally one of the first things Melinda did when meeting a ghost. Meeting Danny must have completely thrown her off the track. Not that the man was complaining; it was great that he could help out with his wife's ghostly endeavours. It meant there was less work for her to do. However, he couldn't help but feel slightly sorry for this Whitehall guy. Everything with their house guest seemed to mean that his needs were only second best. It wasn't normally the way Melinda worked.<p>

Ah! There he was. Adam Whitehall. Jim clicked on the link. Deaths in Grandview, like any other place, were quite common which meant that searching for news on the recently deceased wasn't as easy as it should be. Relaxing back into the sofa, Jim observed the face on the screen. Melinda was right; this guy didn't look like he could be more than twenty five. The man took in Whitehall's cool grey eyes, slightly rounded nose and taunting smirk. The confidence flowing from this guy seemed almost tangible making the fact that he was a businessman all the more obvious. Jim could tell that this was a guy who knew how to get what he wanted. All right for some.

Jim rolled his eyes and scrolled down the page looking for any information to aid his wife.

_Whitehall seemed to have appeared out of nowhere when he moved to America at the age of twenty two. It is speculated that the young man may have had a nasty start to life as, whenever asked, either by the media, business connections or friends, Whitehall would simply dismiss his past as irrelevant and change the topic of conversation._

Grabbing the notebook and pen from the coffee table beside the laptop, Jim quickly noted down his first possible discovery: Shady background. If he could get enough points down, Melinda might be able to cross him over without further trouble. Of course then she'd have to talk to the guy and Jim got the feeling that she didn't particularly enjoy the conversations they had together. He continued to read.

_Moving from England, Whitehall had almost no connections to the business world and had no family or friends to be heard of. Although the man held a significant amount of money, there was very little hope for him getting very far. However, meeting his future girlfriend, Isabella Ashton (20) seemed to give Whitehall the emotional boost he needed to launch himself into American business._

Jim found himself rubbing at the corner of his eye as he read all about how much everyone loved Whitehall and how rich and successful he became in his field of work. The website never particularly specified what line of business the guy was into but it was all apparently legitimate.

If he was being honest, the only particular point of interest about this guy was his murder. As Jim flicked through different news websites he managed to piece together the general story. Apparently on the day, all of the CCTV and alarm systems had been shut off from some outside force. No one was really sure about what had happened on the day because there was a complete lack of witnesses. It was obviously a well thought out operation. Which just made it all the more intriguing for the police and detectives on the case. Whitehall was found on his bedroom floor with bullet holes in his chest. Whoever was after him certainly held a grudge.

"Dad?" Jim jolted as Aiden entered the room, having been completely submerged in his reading. Reacting more on instinct that anything else, the man slammed his laptop shut. Let's just say the images on screen weren't exactly child-friendly. Aiden blinked as his dad grinned awkwardly back at him.

"Hey, I thought you were playing with your soldiers..."

"I..." The youngster paused a moment, as though debating something. He quickly shrugged it off. "When will Danny be back?"

Jim frowned slightly and glanced at the clock across the room. It was just nearing seven. Melinda, Eli and Danny had only been gone for fifteen minutes.

"You'll probably be in bed, bud. He's gonna be a while." If he remembered rightly, Melinda wanted to introduce Danny to a ghost. Somehow, finding out Danny could see ghosts wasn't surprising. They'd known there was something... not quite normal about the runaway. They would know, they'd dealt with a few in their lifetimes. Maybe it had something to do with the lack of fear. If anything, Danny was suspicious. But scared? If he was, he had never shown it. No wait, that wasn't true. Jim thought back to the first time he'd treated Danny's injuries. Danny's outburst. As soon as the kid had realised his ferocity, he looked terrified. So he was afraid of himself?

Jim shook his head. Figuring Danny out wasn't important right now. Aiden was. The little boy seemed disheartened by the older boy's absence. It was obvious how much Aiden idolised Danny and, even thought he might never admit it, it appeared that Danny cared quite a bit for the youngster. They were like brothers... without the fighting...

He leaned back in the chair, inviting Aiden to sit beside him. The kid smiled and scrambled up onto the sofa. Jim paused, keeping his eyes fixed on his laptop. "What do you think of Danny then?"

Aiden's smile quickly transformed into a grin. "I think Danny is awesome! He plays with me and is really nice. I don't want him to leave ever!" Jim smiled sadly and turned in his seat to get a closer look at his son.

"Aiden..." the man started, looking deep into his son's eyes. Aiden looked back at him curiously.

"Yes?"

Jim knew he needed to do this. The sooner the better... like ripping off a band-aid or something... If he didn't mention it now, it would only mean Aiden being even more upset later.

"About Danny..." His mouth felt dry and his voice came out a little strained.

How could he explain to his five-year-old son that his new best friend would probably be gone within the next month (as soon as Jim found the parents). Knowing that they would have to hand Danny over to child services if the parents couldn't be found hurt Jim more than he understood. Talking to Aiden about it just seemed impossible.

But he had to.

The small boy nodded, trying to prompt his dad into saying something. It was as Jim looked further into his son's face that he realised he couldn't do it. The words stuck in his throat, refusing to break through. Closing his eyes tightly for a second, the father forced a smile onto his face. "I think you're right. I think he's awesome."

This seemed to be the right thing to say as the child suddenly wrapped his minute arms around his dad's torso in a breath-snatching hug. Jim had almost forgotten how strong his son could be. He must have got that from Melinda.

"You know what else is so good about Danny?" the child asked innocently, pulling away from the embrace. Jim gave an exaggerated frown before shaking his head.

"What?"

"He's better at playing superheroes than you!" Aiden giggled, comparing the two in his head. He watched in glee as his father's eyebrows shot up in false shock and betrayal. Without warning, Jim made a grab for the child, pulling him onto his knee. Before Aiden could break free, he found himself paralysed in laughter from Jim's sudden tickling.

"Stop! St-" The child's pleading was cut off when Jim's fingers found his stomach and he found that he could no longer breathe from the relentless giggling bursting out of him.

"Who's better at playing superheroes?" Jim asked, tauntingly.

"Da-Da-Dan-" Aiden spluttered, shaking his head furiously in a feeble attempt of rebellion.

"What did you say? Sorry, I didn't quite hear you."

"Okay! Okay! You... are..." Just like that, the tickle-fest stopped. Grinning widely, Aiden leaped off his dad's knee and made a break for the door. The youngster paused in the door frame, looking back mischievously at Jim.

"Only kidding!" he yelled, now running from the room and racing up the stairs. Taking on the challenge, Jim stood up and made chase, an almost identical grin on his own face. Any lingering thoughts of Adam Whitehall and Danny Sterling were instantly forgotten.

* * *

><p>"Where are we going?" Eli asked impatiently, staring out of the car window.<p>

"For the third time; it's a secret." Melinda shot him a mildly irritated look. They had only been driving for fifteen minutes and Danny could tell Eli wasn't happy. Danny himself? He wasn't really sure what to feel. Everything Melinda had said earlier in the day hinted that whatever expedition they were going on, had a strong connection with ghosts.

Danny was still very much aware of the fact that he had a rather disastrous looking Thermos in the top draw of his bedside table. He had absolutely no idea what he was going to do with the ghosts inside of it. Somehow the idea of the ghosts inside getting out was less scary than the thought of Melinda finding out his secret. Being treated like a normal kid in a normal family was the best feeling he'd had for a while and he didn't want to lose it.

Then again… a family that can see and talk to ghosts that no one else can… Well, this was about as normal as he was ever going to get. If Melinda found out, everything would change.

The one thing that was keeping him from completely panicking was the fact that Eli was right there with him. If they ran into any trouble, he wouldn't be completely on his own. Danny sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Thankfully, being the only one in the back of the car meant that no one noticed his discomfort.

The kid watched silently as they exited the small village they had been driving through.

Since talking to Eli, Danny had been feeling a lot better. He didn't know whether it was because he now had someone to confide in, that knew all of his secrets (bar the fact that he was currently being chased down by the government, but that was on more of a need to know basis) or whether it was down to what Jazz would call: 'Emotional offloading'. Whatever it was, it was great. Granted the pain was still there but he no longer felt like it was suffocating him. It definitely made him more confident about his future. He would get through this. Well he would if Melinda stopped throwing surprises in his face.

"Danny, Delia's going to help you out in the store tomorrow, she's in charge," Melinda stated, breaking the tense silence. Danny frowned.

"What are _you_ doing?"

"I'm going to try and find Mary's cat. The sooner I get her crossed over, the better." The woman sent him an apologetic look through the rear-view mirror, knowing that she was pretty much abandoning him for the day.

"Couldn't _I_ look for the cat instead?" he asked hopefully, aiming for another day away from the store. That place, despite all is 'beauty', was depressing. To his dismay, Melinda shook her head.

"Something gives me the impression that Mary doesn't really like you."

Danny rolled his eyes and turned back to the window. He wasn't exactly her number one fan either.

"If it makes you feel any better, I can come around to see you on my lunch break," Eli offered, shuffling in his seat to face the teen. Danny's mood brightened a little, making him smile.

"I guess that could work."

A few seconds later, Melinda pulled up. Danny looked around to see that they were parked next to woodland. That was odd. He looked up to see Eli's reaction.

All colour had drained from the man's face as he looked from Melinda to the trees and back again.

"I really don't think this is a good idea," he announced, his voice shaking slightly. Danny didn't get it. What could possibly be that bad?

"Why not?" Melinda looked at the psychology professor with the same confused expression as Danny. Eli shot a panicky yet apologetic look at Danny. When he didn't answer her question, Melinda decided that it couldn't be important and also turned to face the teen, undoing her seatbelt.

"Danny, I'm going to introduce you to Phantom."

Instantly, Danny felt the familiar cold feeling of dread blossoming in his chest. Now he got it. How did he not see this coming? Melinda's interest in his ghost half was almost unnatural and, as of today, that same interest had spread to his human half. With all the hints Adam was giving her, she probably figured that there was some sort of link. She just hadn't figured out what it was yet. If he messed up today, that may no longer be an issue. The boy shuddered.

"You know, suddenly I don't feel so good."

"Maybe we shouldn't do this. It's Danny's first time. Phantom's a little… advanced." Again, his eyes found Danny. If Melinda realised just how uncomfortable they both were, she didn't show it.

"Eli, think about it. They're about the same age, the same temperament and they both have some pretty bad memories."

"I'm right here, you know," Danny cut in, crossing his arms as frustration momentarily overcame fear. Either Melinda didn't hear him or she chose to ignore him.

"As I see it, Phantom is perfect for Danny's first ghost. We couldn't have wished for a better match."

Danny could tell that Eli was caught off guard by her argument. The teen felt another bubble of nerves in the bottom of his stomach. After a few seconds of silence, Melinda figured that she had won and with a triumphant smirk, she got out of the car. Eli and Danny shared a hopeless look before following her out.

As they walked through the woodland, Danny began trying to come up with a plan. The obvious thing was to create a duplicate that could pose as his ghost half. One problem with that though… He'd only ever successfully duplicated once -in the car with Melinda and it had only lasted a grand total of a minute. Not to mention, it left him feeling pretty drained.

Perhaps he could somehow... slip away and then come back as Phantom and then... Nah, that wouldn't work. He might as well wave his arms in the air and scream: _I'm the same person!_

"What are you gonna do?" Eli whispered, making Danny jump. The teen glanced from the friend at his side to his host far ahead. Biting his lip, Danny shook his head.

"I'm just gonna have to wing it," he responded truthfully. His brain wasn't functioning properly and everything seemed a little surreal. Nodding reassuringly, Eli placed his hand on the teen's shoulder for a few seconds.

After what felt like forever, Melinda located the clearing where she had last spoken to the ghost kid. Danny sighed resignedly as he followed her in. This wasn't going to end well.

The woman smiled as she turned to look at her ward. "Here we are," she declared cheerily. Eli pulled away from Danny, causing the boy to feel slightly more vulnerable. He could worry about that later. Right now, he had a part to play.

"Where is 'here' exactly?" he asked, letting his eyes skim the clearing in what he hoped looked like a curious manner.

"This is where Eli and I last saw Phantom."

Something clicked in Danny's mind as he remembered something Melinda had said earlier. Well, if he wanted to make this convincing...

"I thought you said Eli couldn't see ghosts."

"Normally he can't. Phantom's an exception." As if that explained everything, she spun to face the trees opposite them. "Phantom! I need to talk to you."

Danny grimaced and looked down at the floor. So far, 'winging it' meant standing there and hoping it would be over soon. There was a long pause in which Melinda continued to circulate the clearing, keeping her eyes wide open for anything ghostly. Eli shuffled a little closer to Danny, either in support of the kid, or in protection for himself. Danny had picked up on how Melinda could scare Eli on occasions the first day they met, so he couldn't be sure.

"Phantom... Are you here?" the woman called out again.

"Maybe he's not here?" the teen asked, hoping against hope that his host would just give in. She just shook her head and continued to call the ghost that was never going to come. Danny sighed and looked to Eli for help. The man caught his gaze and Danny could see the cogs turning in his brain. After a few seconds, he seemed to come to a conclusion.

"Maybe he crossed over."

If Danny weren't so on edge, he might just have rolled his eyes. Of course that was going to come up again.

"Eli, if you'd seen the visions I have, you wouldn't be saying that. Ghosts don't just resolve issues like that on their own. They need help."

As though prompted, Danny's ghost sense went off, causing Eli to jump. The man looked at him questioningly but Danny just shook his head and allowed his eyes to whip around the clearing, looking for any sign of a ghost. It wasn't long before he located the intruder, advancing on the clearing from the opposite side.

"It is funny how willing you are to help out a dead teenager who does not want it but when it comes to me..." The ghost shook his head in mock disappointment. Melinda whirled around, suddenly face to face with Adam. Danny growled slightly. This was the last person he wanted to see. The ghost turned his gaze to the teen and smirked. "Stand down, soldier. I'm only here to deliver a message."

Danny's glare faltered but his fists remained tightly clenched as ever. Adam suddenly disappeared, reappearing seconds later in the centre of the clearing, fixing each of them with his condescending stare.

"Where is Phantom?" Melinda asked, obviously under the impression that the ghost knew. Adam sent Danny a very deliberate look which turned the teen's blood cold. He could do it. He could spill everything right there and there would be nothing that Danny could do about it. Keeping the half-ghost's eye, Adam coughed lightly.

"Phantom is currently unavailable," he said with deliberate slowness. The teen released a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding. This just delighted Adam even more.

"What do you mean?"

Adam kept Danny's gaze a few seconds longer before turning back to Melinda. "I mean he does not want to be here." This seemed to cause quite a bit of confusion for the woman as she frowned and crossed her arms.

"Is this Adam?" Eli whispered from somewhere behind Danny. The teen turned to see his friend staring blankly at nothing in particular. Oh, that was right. Eli couldn't see Grandview ghosts. Wow. That must have been weird. Danny nodded hastily, wanting to keep a close watch on the arrogant ghost-guy.

Melinda was still stuck on the whole 'Phantom not wanting to come' thing. "And he told you this himself did he?" She looked ever so slightly scary, with her hands on her hips in that 'no nonsense' look that mothers often get. If Adam was intimidated in the slightest, he did a very good job of hiding it.

"Actually yes. We are about as close as you can get." The guy shot Danny another look, causing the teen's glare to return. Again, Melinda missed the interaction.

"All right then, why? Why doesn't he want to come?" Melinda challenged, obviously not believing the statement. Before anyone knew what was happening, Adam vanished before poking his head over Danny's shoulder. Danny jumped and went to pull away but Adam's grasp on his arm's restricted any movement.

"Do you want to tell her, or should I?" the ghost whispered, loud enough for everyone to hear.

"_What?_" Danny hissed back, trying really hard to get out of Adam's hold. He'd fought Skulker for crying out loud, how was it that this snob was keeping him hostage? Danny caught Melinda's eye. The woman appeared to be frozen in shock, watching the exchange between ghost and boy. Remembering that Melinda couldn't touch ghosts just annoyed the teen even more. He had to stop Adam from saying anything otherwise his cover was blown beyond repair. He didn't like the way that his heart hammered violently in his chest.

"You know... that connection between the both of you. The thing that binds you together?"

Danny had to fight the temptation to blast Adam right there and then. Melinda was staring directly at him. He really didn't want to give the ghost any more satisfaction than he already had and Danny felt like, exposing _himself_ would do just that.

"Danny, what does he mean?" Melinda asked, sounding concerned. The teen glanced at Eli for help but the man was just standing there looking helpless.

"I..." Danny's mind raced, trying to think of a way out of all this. If Melinda was ever going to find out about him, he didn't want it to be done this way. Having a choice was always nice. A chuckle beside his ear bright his anger back to life again.

"Hey, hey, hey." Adam whispered, a lot quieter so that only Danny could hear it. "Just follow me on this one, Phantom. All right?"

Danny blinked. _What?_ Before the teen could gather his bearings, Adam let go, transporting to beside Melinda.

"Haven't you ever noticed how alike they look? Phantom and Sterling?" The man asked, leaning in sideways to Melinda with his arms folded mockingly. Danny took a threatening step forward.

"Adam, don't-"

"Same age, same mannerisms, I might even go as far as saying same face. Almost as if they were... related..."

Melinda gasped, causing Danny to freeze. Was this it? Had she finally worked it out? Was his secret no longer... well, secret?

The woman murmured something under her breath before turning to Adam. "That's why he won't come?"

_Say again? _Danny frowned, suddenly not quite sure what was going on. He glanced at Adam who sent him a wink back in response.

"They did not end on very good terms, Phantom merely does not wish to reopen old wounds."

Okay, now he was really lost. The teen turned to Eli, who had this knowing smile on his face. When he noticed Danny looking at him questioningly, the man merely shook his head. How was it that he was the only one that had no clue what was going on?

"Was it recent?" Melinda asked, talking quietly so as Danny couldn't hear. She obviously did not count on his heightened hearing. Shaking his head solemnly, Adam cast another sad look at Danny, the twinkle in his eye betraying his act.

"A few months ago. Truly tragic."

"And Phantom being a hero..."

"Why do you think the child has such a different view of ghosts?"

"Okay, can someone tell me what is going on here?" Danny asked, rather loudly and very annoyed. He was confused and he really didn't like it. All eyes were on him and he watched wearily as Melinda crossed the clearing and came towards him. Within seconds, he found himself being hugged for the second time that day. He stared questioningly at Adam over the woman's shoulder. The ghost shrugged, looking obnoxiously pleased with himself.

"I'm so sorry, Danny. No wonder you didn't want to come out here."

Danny frowned. Did she know or not? He was finding it all rather hard to work out. If only someone would make sense. After a while, Melinda pulled away, staring deep into his eyes. If the kid felt awkward before, he felt about ten times worse now. He looked down at his shoes. Without him knowing, he was actually putting on a very supporting act for the English ghost.

"Melinda, if Phantom's not coming, don't you think we should get out of the cold?" Eli asked, attracting Melinda's attention. She paused before nodding and turning to face Adam.

"Do you think you could tell Phantom that I'll come back tomorrow, without Danny and see if we can work something out."

Adam smiled and nodded once -none of his usual cockiness showing through. Eli was the first to move, leading Melinda out of the clearing. Neither of the adults noticed that Danny wasn't following.

"What's going on?" the teen asked, staring bewildered at Adam. The ghost's smile shifted back into a smirk and in a second, he was just a metre in front of Danny.

"Congratulations, you have just gained a brother," he announced proudly, causing Danny to splutter slightly.

"I-_what?_"

"It looks like I have just saved your secret. Take a guess at what that means..."

Danny blinked, still stuck on the whole 'brother thing'. "...Er."

"You owe me... what is the term? Ah, yes. '_Big time_'." An alarmingly mischievous grin spread across the ghost's face but before Danny could say anything in retaliation, he was gone.

The teen glanced around the clearing, feeling slightly stunned before Melinda noticed he wasn't behind them and called him from within the trees. Danny turned slowly and made for the duo. Melinda thought his human half and his ghost half were brothers...? All that talk about them not being on great terms with each other, about Phantom not wanting to reopen wounds and about the accident happening a few months ago... It was brilliant! Almost scarily so.

He hated to admit it but... Maybe Adam wasn't such a bad person to have onside.

* * *

><p><strong>Ooh, so Danny is indebted to Adam, eh? Does that unnerve anyone else? o.O<strong>

**Ah, I know Danny's emotions are a little all over the place in this and that is one of the major problems I had with this segment. I feel like it was a bit jittery and all over the place so I'm sorry for that...**

**So, when asked, I told everyone that Adam wouldn't be appearing again for a while... You remember his second ever appearance? When he helped Danny build the Fenton Thermos? Do you remember how I told you that he was purely there due to severe writer's block... Da ja vu, anyone? Yes, Adam was never actually supposed to be in this scene. Melinda was supposed to come to the idea of Phantom and 'Sterling' being brothers all by herself but this is actually works a whole lot better than what I had planned. You know those ideas that just come spontaneously as your fingers are moving? Yeah...**

**Anyways, it's about 3 in the morning now so I guess I should be going to sleep about now... Thanks so much for reading.**

**Special thank you to everyone for your amazing reviews (sorry, never got around to replying... I really need to sort myself out...) and to SpartanCommander for getting me to think even harder about each chapter. It can be surprisingly interesting to read criticisms and advice and I can't help but admire her for her vigilance in my fiction.**

**Love you all!**

**-Mea**


	17. Back Stories

**Hey! Long time no see... REALLY LONG TIME... Sorry about that... Have you ever had writer's block that has left you completely paralysed and unable to do anything at all fiction related? If you have, I can now officially empathise with you. If you haven't, be thankful. It really stinks.**

**Word of warning, this is most definitely not the best chapter I have ever written. AT ALL. I think there are quite a few sections in it (the first two are both basically a few of my attempts to start this chapter. No exaggeration – I restarted this chapter **_**seven**_** times) this is basically due to the fact it was much easier to write lots of smaller bits than one big bit.**

**Just want to mention how happy I am at the sudden increase in DP x GW fics. It's amazing and if you write one, I am guaranteed to read it... Just saying :) So yes! Check those out if you haven't already and I shall leave you with this very jigsaw-y version of Chapter 17!**

Chapter 17: Back Stories

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><p>"What's his real name?"<p>

"What?" Danny blinked, staring at Eli as if he'd grown a second head. The psychology professor sighed.

"Phantom. It's not a real name. At least... not a human one." Eli paused, looking out of the window thoughtfully. A cough from the teen brought him back to reality a few seconds later. "... Uh...What I'm saying is, Phantom must have had a name before he died. Something _normal_. You're his brother, so you should know it."

Danny hesitated, staring down at the glass of coke on the café table. This much awaited lunch break had turned into something of an interrogation. He knew Eli was just trying to help but it didn't stop him from feeling cheated of his care-free afternoon.

"What about Nick?" he suggested, saying the first name that popped into his brain.

"Really?"

"What's wrong with Nick?" the teen asked defensively. He quite liked that name. His friend however, shook his head.

"There was a kid called Nick that went to school with me. He ate pencil shavings a lot. His parents had to keep pencils away from him until he was sixteen; he went through about five a week." Eli shuddered, tightening his grip on his coffee mug. Danny frowned before shaking it off. Eli had some pretty strange memories.

"Okay. Not Nick... Why don't you pick one?" If there was one thing Danny sucked at, it was naming things.

"Jack?"

"No," Danny responded curtly, for obvious reasons. He didn't need to be reminded of his dad every time his ghost half was mentioned. Thankfully, Eli picked up on the tone in the teen's voice and didn't push it any further. The two sat in thoughtful silence, each taking periodic sips from their drinks.

Danny still couldn't quite get over the idea of having a brother, even if it was just an imaginary one. It scared him quite a bit how quickly Adam had come up with the lie. Either the man was an extremely fast thinker, or it was planned. The more the teen thought about it, the more he was sure he'd been conned. All those hints the ghost had been giving to Melinda... What if it was all a part of the plan? He'd given her enough information to figure out his secret but what if he knew she wouldn't get it?

Getting a reaction out of Danny would have helped his case, especially last night. Melinda had seen Danny and Adam together in the store a few days ago. It wouldn't be too much of a stretch of the imagination to believe that Danny was afraid Adam would tell her about his 'brother'. It would explain why he tensed up so much when Adam came into the clearing.

Instead of inspiring admiration for the ghost however, it just made Danny all the more frustrated. He was currently in Adam's debt but it had been Adam who'd deliberately put him in trouble to start with. The ghost obviously had some sort of higher motive that he needed Danny for and the teen wasn't sure he liked that.

"Are you ready to order?"

The teen was jolted out of his thoughts by a nasally voice to his left. He looked up to see the waiter staring expectantly at Eli. Glancing over at Danny, the professor shook his head.

"Not quite, just give us another minute."

It was at that point that something pinned to the young man's chest, caught Danny's eye.

_'My name is Alex.'_

A second later, the waiter muttered something under his breath about indecisive customers and abruptly left. Danny looked over at Eli and took note of the gleam in the professors gaze.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" the teen asked, a grin on his face. The emotion reflected onto Eli as he held out his hand for the younger male to shake.

"It's nice to meet you Alex Sterling."

* * *

><p>"Delia, I'm stuck... What do you get a teenage boy?" Melinda asked desperately into her phone. This was so much harder than she had thought it would be.<p>

"_Well, didn't you say Eli had given him an X-box? Why don't you get him a game for that?"_

"I guess I could, but..." The woman sighed, staring down at the floral pattern on her dress. An X-box game seemed so impersonal and generic. She wanted this gift to be something special.

"_What does he like? You must have noticed something by now," _Delia broke in, picking up on Melinda's train of thought.

Melinda paused to think about this. What _had_ she noticed? The teen seemed to have an affinity to the outdoors, going out on long walks every evening, just before the sun went down. At first it had worried her – a fourteen-year-old walking alone in woods, but Danny always came back looking happier and livelier than he had throughout the day. That pretty much eased all of Melinda's fears.

Something else she had picked up on was how Danny looked at the sky. It was kind of hard to explain but it looked like longing, as though he was constantly wishing he could take off and float among the clouds. She quite liked that.

"I guess there is one thing..." she admitted as something else creeped into her mind. It had been on Sunday that Danny had mentioned it over dinner. "He was talking to Jim about what he wanted to do in the future."

"_... And?" _

"He wants to be an astronaut." Melinda remembered the look of amused surprise on her husband's face as the kid told him all about his dream of seeing the stars close up. She knew what had Jim so surprised though. Most kids lost that aspiration after the age of ten when reality caught up with them and they realised just how unlikely it was for them to get anywhere near any sort of space program. Danny however, talked about it as someone who truly believed he had a chance. He'd done his research too, talking about how 'they only choose one hundred people every two years to go into the space program' and when asked, he could name every single space rocket made. It was actually quite awe-inspiring.

"That's it. I know what to get him," the shop owner announced proudly.

"_What-"_

"I'll tell you about it later." Melinda took a sip of her coffee. "How is Danny?"

"_He's fine. He's out with Eli for lunch so I'm not expecting him back for a while."_

Melinda smiled at this. It was nice that Eli had managed to bond so closely with Danny. The way Eli never failed to put a smile on the teen's face was really special and the woman sometimes wished that she could do that. The thought of being the recipient of the boy's warm grin was something that she really longed for. She wasn't ready to get her hopes up too soon for that however. Danny was only just really settling in and she wouldn't allow herself to expect too much from him.

"What do you think?"

"_For a stray, he's not that bad," _Delia answered jokingly. _"If he's still with you next week, I'm sure Ned wouldn't mind if you brought him along to his birthday dinner. He's still trying to get over the fact you found someone who can feel ghosts. I haven't seen him this excited since he found out about those 'visible ghosts' of yours."_

Melinda couldn't hold back a laugh at this. "Well it is quite exciting. You might just have to hold him back a little when it comes to Danny though. He doesn't seem to enjoy talking about his abilities..." The woman paused and frowned. "Then again, he seems to make it his mission to fall out with every ghost he meets." Adam and Mary were prime examples of this.

"_That doesn't seem very logical." _Delia was of course referring to Danny's vulnerability to the spirits.

"You're right. It doesn't." Melinda went to take another sip of her drink when something to her left caught her eye. Her hand froze halfway to her face..

"Sorry Delia, I've got to go. I'll talk to you when I come to pick up Danny?" The woman on the other end of the phone gave a short goodbye before Melinda hit the end call button on her phone.

There, right beside her, strolling around as carefree as the wind, was a small black cat with a pretty purple bow.

* * *

><p>Sam sat, watching silently from the roof opposite as Melinda knocked on a door with a cat in her arms. She could see the elder ghost standing just off to the right of the whisperer, staring eagerly at the same door like a child stared at the fireplace on Christmas Eve, waiting for Santa.<p>

Whilst the fourteen-year-old ghost unconsciously fingered the medallion around her neck, the white door swung open to reveal a young woman. The woman took one look at the cat before bursting into tears and thanking Melinda over and over. She looked so happy and yet so sad at the same time. Sam knew that feeling so well. She got it whenever she looked at Danny. She was so happy that he was in front of her, and more and more recently, smiling. Yet looking at him and knowing he was never allowed to see her... knowing that she would never be the cause of that goofy smile again... it hurt more than she could say.

The girl shook her head sadly before returning her attention to the scene below.

The young woman had retreated back inside, taking the cat with her and leaving Melinda and the sizeable ghost alone in the street. Neither looked as though they minded.

It wasn't Melinda or the ghost-lady that she was focused on, though. No. What had her complete attention was the Light shining brighter than a thousand stars, slightly to their left. It had opened up for her. The ghost-lady. Not Sam.

The ghostly teen had no idea how she felt about that. The medallion around her neck prevented her from falling into the 'death daze' (apparently that never wears off) but it didn't stop her from wishing she could just fall into that peaceful glow that she seemed to see around every corner. Knowing that she couldn't, just hurt. She had to remember why she was here. She had to think about Danny. Even if he didn't know she was there, he _needed_ her.

Staring into the ever familiar, yet still breathtaking Light, Sam found herself thinking about what Danny must have felt when he died. She knew it wasn't like what she had felt. For all she knew about Danny, she still had no idea why his 'death' in the Ghost Portal was so different from hers in the Nasty Burger explosion. Why had Danny become this tangible ghost when she had been left invisible to the large majority of the living population? Why could Danny shoot ectoplasm out of his hands and she couldn't even lift a tennis ball? It was infuriating but she found that she couldn't really blame her best friend for any of it. After all, he hadn't asked to become some half-human, half-ghost hybrid.

Sam sighed deeply as the larger lady allowed herself to be pulled in by the golden-white tendrils. In a matter of seconds, she had disappeared completely. The teen knew that she should leave now. She should go and check on Danny but something stopped her. The same thing that always did.

Danny had a family now. Well, temporarily anyway. It wouldn't do her any good to linger about him like some little lovestruck kid. Anyway – the medallion told her everything she needed to know. She knew, for example, that Danny was staring out of the window of Melinda's store, bored out of his mind in the Delia-lady's presence. She also knew that he was thinking about his rather productive lunch with Eli and that he was secretly afraid of his planned meeting with Melinda in ghost form tonight. Knowing all that made seeing him so much more pointless.

The teen stood up and walked to the very edge of the building she was on. Maybe she should go to the library again? True she couldn't actually touch the books that ladled each shelf but she could always read over someone's shoulder again...

Or maybe she could catch up with Aiden. Sam didn't usually like kids – they were usually all spoilt, snotty brats. However, she couldn't deny the fact that she had quite a soft spot for the youngster. In a way, he reminded her of Danny. His haphazard raven hair and completely clueless and innocent mannerisms seemed almost the mirror of her best friend. He differed in other ways obviously. His confident and outgoing personality for one. The fact that he never seemed devoid of energy was also a big difference but somehow it only made the kid even more likeable.

Yes. She'd picked quite a nice family for him out here. Sam smiled slightly as she steered his time-line in her mind. If everything worked out all right, Danny might just get his secret wish – to become a part of the Gordon family.

The teen took one last look at the shop-owner below before she vanished from the spot, still holding onto that little glimmer of hope.

* * *

><p><em>Come on Fenton. Let's just get this out of the way and then you'll never have to talk about it again... probably...<em>

Danny grimaced. He'd really have to sort out his mental pep-talks at some point. Letting the familiar white rings wash over him, Danny swiftly slipped into invisibility and phased through the store wall. If he could catch Melinda now, when she was in a hurry to get away, maybe the talk would be quicker and less painful. Thankfully Delia had left ten minutes ago and Melinda had told Danny to go ahead to the car so the woman was alone.

Melinda was over at the counter, sifting through her shopping bags nervously as though she were trying to hide something.

Deciding it was none of his business, Danny materialised, brushing his irritating white hair out of his eyes. He let out a light cough to catch the woman's attention.

The reaction was instant. Melinda jumped like a rabbit that had been shot at. She spun around to face the ghostly teenager with this look that reminded Danny of a deer in headlights.

"Sorry," he mumbled, trying to fight his snigger. "I didn't mean to scare you."

As soon as she recognised him, Melinda visibly relaxed. "It's all right. I get it a lot." With that she lifted the bags and placed them behind the counter so Danny couldn't see what was in them. Probably just some girly things that he would rather not know about. The teen waited patiently, successfully hiding his vicious nerves. After a while, Melinda pulled herself up so that she was sitting on the counter.

"Did Adam tell you I was going to speak to you tonight?" she asked once comfortable. Feeling awkward, Danny raised a gloved hand to the back of his head.

"Uh, yeah. I just... have something on later so... I didn't want to leave you stranded." Meh, it was true enough. Melinda nodded thoughtfully, glancing out of the store window in the general direction of her car. The teen could tell she was thinking about his human half. "Danny's okay. He's gone into the video-game store." He blurted out, not wanting her to brush him off straight away. If they didn't get at least a little bit of conversation now, she'd probably ask to see him later on and he was struggling enough as it was.

"You checked up on him," Melinda asked, an unrecognisable emotion thick in her voice.

"Er... I guess you could say that..."

"You must really love him."

Okay, how could he seriously answer that? It was weird enough talking about himself in third person but to admit to being emotionally connected to himself? Uncomfortable was a very mild choice of words. Instead of answering properly, the teen just made an odd kind of chokey noise in his throat. He had learned that sounds could be taken in whatever way the listener wanted them to be. By the look on Melinda's face, his bet had paid off.

"Can I ask you a few questions? I might be able to figure out how to help you both." The shop-owner pressed her hands together in her trademark finger steeple. Danny nodded quickly, folding his legs a few feet off of the ground.

"That's why I'm here." He knew that nothing Melinda suggested would ever amount to anything but Eli had assured him that Melinda wouldn't give up until she tried everything so it was best to just go along with it for as long as he could. His reassurance seemed to delight Melinda as her face grew into this huge grin.

"Good. You remind me of him you know..." She trailed off happily. _I wonder why that is_,Danny scoffed mentally. He couldn't help but like Melinda for how much she really seemed to care about everyone. Even if it could get really annoying at times.

"Adam told me you two ended on bad terms..." Melinda's voice slowly diminished into a comforting and approachable murmur. It was loud enough that he could clearly hear and understand what she was saying but quite enough that anyone at the other end of the store wouldn't be able to listen in. "Would you mind telling me what happened?"

A small smirk made its way onto the teenager's face. "Straight to the point." Danny lowered his head so that he was no longer looking straight at her. Eli had told him that the worst thing to do when lying to Melinda was to look her in the eye. Apparently many past experiences had taught the psychology professor that and Danny wasn't about to ignore it. Besides, it made his sadness look all the more convincing.

"I told you I died in a lab accident, right?" The woman nodded in confirmation. "It wasn't just me. Danny was there with me. He was the one that hit the on button on the machine that did it. The thing exploded and I was right in the middle of it. Danny only got hit in the aftermath. That's how he can see and speak to ghosts." The teen took a steadying breath, suddenly very thankful that Eli had drilled the back story into his head for half an hour at lunch.

"After I died, he never really got over it. I died, he survived. He felt guilty even though I kept telling him it wasn't his fault. At that time, he was the only one who knew I'd come back as a ghost. As the weeks went by, I started getting annoyed at him for being so upset about me so I tried to prove to him that I wasn't sad. I was as happy as I had been in life and just because I was dead didn't mean that I couldn't live a little. So I took up the superhero gig. I went back to see him a month later and he said that I should just leave. He wanted me to move on because he couldn't bear watching me on the TV all the time and he needed to get past me. Like I said. I was dead."

Danny hated how bad he was making himself sound here but Eli had assured him that it would work in his favour. Apparently Melinda liked it when relatives tried to convince their dead to move on. It meant that they wanted the best for themselves and for the deceased... or something like that. It just sounded mean to the half-ghost teenager.

"So you left him to it?" The shop-owner asked, voice flooding with sympathy.

"Yup."

Danny didn't quite understand how he could recite this made up story, knowing that every word of it was a lie and yet still feel as though he had really experienced those very events. He supposed it helped with his acting but, boy, did it make him feel bad. Was this weird ache in his chest something stirred up by his story or the guilt he was feeling for lying to his temporary guardian?

"That must have been hard."

_Yes. Rub it in, why don't you?_

"A little... Any other questions?" the teen asked, wanting to change subject as quickly as possible. Melinda hesitated before dropping from the counter and making her way towards him. Thankfully she stopped just beyond touching distance. Danny cocked his head, suddenly curious. From the look in her eye, whatever she was thinking about saying had been playing on her mind for a while.

"Phantom..." She bit her lip, looking down at her hands momentarily. "When I saw your visions in the clearing... What happened? Why did they... run you out?"

A sudden stabbing pain in his chest caused the teen to lower himself to the floor. He should have known she'd remember that. Rubbing his insignia, the teen turned away from Melinda to face the store window.

"I-" his voice caught in his throat as the flashbacks hit him full on. All that leering, the bottle throwing, the hissing and the spitting... like he was the worst scum in the entire universe... it was like torture. Everything he had ever loved had been suddenly ripped away from him and the entire town had officially nominated him as the cause of it all. Knowing that Phantom was Fenton didn't help either, it just added the words 'freak' and 'abomination' ect to the mix.

It was only when he felt something touch his shoulder that he managed to break away from the overwhelming dark memories. The teen looked down to see a polka-dot oven-mitt resting on his jumpsuit. When he shot Melinda a questioning look she just shrugged sadly.

"It's the only way I could think of to touch you without... you know, touching you," she explained briefly. What was strange was that, instead of pulling away like his instincts told him to Danny found himself just standing there and letting it happen. It was nice... to have that small comforting touch. It made him feel like someone actually cared. Looking at Melinda, he realised that she didn't think of him as 'ectoplasmic scum' or anything to be feared and hated. Despite the fact that he was a ghost, she'd accepted him. It felt amazing.

"There was an accident... and I got the blame," the teen murmured slowly. Melinda nodded and didn't say anything else, taking her oven-mitt clad hand off of his shoulder. Danny wouldn't admit it, but he almost instantly missed the interaction. As if to comfort himself, he stretched his own arm over his chest to hang loosely on the same shoulder. If Melinda noticed, she didn't mention it.

"I'm sorry."

"Ah, don't be. It's not your fault." Danny shrugged it off, floating a few inches off of the ground again. Now was not the time to be all weepy. "I should probably get going. Places to be and all that..."

"All right..." The woman seemed slightly disappointed and Danny could tell she had meant to ask something else as well. Sighing, the teen folded his arms.

"And your final question is...?"

"Do you... Do you know what's keeping you here?" she asked, hesitantly. Danny blinked. What did she mean by that?

"I don't follow."

"What's keeping you from going into the Light?"

_Oh, that..._ Danny paused, fighting the urge to scoff or make a negative comment. According to Melinda, all ghosts saw the Light. She'd seen it, Eli had seen it... after a short conversation with Jim the teen knew that he'd seen it too. Although the teen wasn't about to say he believed in any of that crud, he knew that, if he didn't play this right, Melinda might start worrying about his ghost half more than she already did. So he shrugged.

"I've never really fancied it." Hey, look at that. That had to be one of his smoothest and easiest lies yet. Maybe all his practice was finally paying off. What was even better was that, Melinda just instantly accepted it like it was one of the most normal things he could have said.

"But-"

"Sorry, I really have to go. Besides, Danny's still waiting for you." With that, he turned invisible and flew out of the building, leaving an open mouthed Melinda in his wake. Admittedly it wasn't the most polite thing he could have done but she had started it. Just the idea of the Light drove the teen up the wall. He wasn't quite sure what the people around here had seen, but he wasn't about to accept the idea that, whatever this 'Light' was – if it was real – was apparently too good for him. He'd never seen it, did that mean he wasn't what the Light wanted? Did that mean that he wasn't worthy of being accepted into it?

No. He wasn't going to believe it. Whatever everyone else had seen, it most definitely wasn't some angelic gateway into Heaven... or wherever.

The Light was still a myth, no matter what anyone said.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry my dearest readers. Like I said. Definitely not the best chapter I have ever uploaded. I'm not particularly impressed but I thought, rather than making you wait another two months, I'll give you what I've got.<strong>

**Thanks for being so patient with me. It means a lot :)**

**-Mea**


	18. Surprises

Heyy! Guess who's back! :D Long _long _time no see! I don't really know what to say to you other than I am feeling refreshed after my uber-long break and I should see you slightly more frequently over the next month or two :3

Anywho - I'll let you get one with the story!

Chapter 18 - Surprises

* * *

><p>"So, why are we at your house again?" Danny asked, idly pulling at the fibres of Eli's arm chair. As much as he loved spending time with the guy, a house visit wasn't really the exciting day out he'd been anticipating.<p>

The professor's head popped out from his bedroom door.

"Because... I thought it was about time we... hung out at my house..." he murmured, pulling a face as he realised how lame he had just sounded. Before he could humiliate himself any further, the head retreated, leaving Danny alone once again.

The teen rolled his eyes in response. "Right..." the teen sighed before pulling himself up. The last time he'd been in this apartment, he'd been stealing a polkadot thermos from the kitchen draws with Adam constantly hissing in his ear.

Even then, the cluttered and claustrophobic apartment had put him on edge. The place was nice and everything, it was just a little... enclosed for his liking. After pacing the room's length a few times, Danny made his way to the oversized window, looking out into the street below.

"So, you want a drink or something?" Eli asked as he re-entered the living room, buttoning up his dark blue shirt. As Danny glanced over, he couldn't help but notice his friend was looking rather dressed up for a guys' evening, what with his shirt and black trousers, not to mention, he was wearing his most expensive watch. The teen narrowed his eyes briefly in suspicion before brushing it off. Eli had been acting weird all day so he shouldn't really have been that surprised.

"What?" Danny scratched the back of his head sheepishly as he realised he'd forgotten the guy's question.

"Drink?" The man stood in his kitchen area, arms folded awkwardly as he stared at his teenage friend. Danny shrugged.

"What have you got?"

Eli blinked as though he hadn't really thought about it before. Frowning slightly, he did a brief scan of his cupboards, coming out with a single box of decaff coffee. "I've got coffee..." The man waved the box in his hand distractedly. "... Water... Oh! And some juice!" he declared, having pulled open the fridge. He paused momentarily as he picked up the juice carton.

"Okay, scrap that..." Seconds later the carton landed in the trash can, causing it to rock slightly. Danny rolled his eyes again.

"You don't have guests very often, do you?" he quipped, a mild smirk on his face.

"It's a bachelor pad, why would I need guests?" the man grunted in response, a touch of pink lighting up the man's cheeks.

Danny laughed. "Don't sweat it. I'll just fly down to the vending machine downstairs."

"Yeah... that's probably best..." Eli rubbed his forehead as though in pain.

"...You got any change?"

Still in a bit of a daze, Eli pulled a few coins out from the back pocket of his trousers. "Here."

"Thanks." Not waiting for more of a response from his friend, the teen made his way to the exit. He paused at the door, turning slightly to face Eli. "You want anything?"

The man shook his head and Danny took this as his invitation to leave. As soon as the door was closed behind him, the teen briefly scanned the area for cameras or passer-bys. Seeing that the coast was clear he hastily grabbed a hold of his ghost half and set off flying invisibly from the building.

Not before, however, his advanced hearing picked up on a remark from the room he'd just left.

"_Hang on... there's not a vending machine downstairs..._"

_Sorry Eli,_ Danny mimed, still unable to believe that his moment of inspiration had actually paid off. Seriously, the vending machine remark had pretty much slipped out before he realised that he'd even thought of it. Then again, his successful escape may have been partially due to Eli's lack of wits today.

Drifting out among the clouds, Danny couldn't help but consider how much his life had changed within the past month. He'd literally gone from one loving family, to being hunted and homeless and then finding himself unintentionally part of another loving home. Not to mention the fact that, within the past week, he'd only really had to deal with Walker and his goons. If this had been a normal week in Amity, he'd have been dealing with at least two a day... not counting the box ghost...

As much as he appreciated the reprieve... he almost _missed_ the ghost attacks. Life somehow felt a little more empty without them. Sure he was now working and he spent a lot of his time either playing with Eli or on occasion, Aiden but it just wasn't the same. What was the point of having a ghost half if he couldn't do anything with it?

Of course, he'd considered Melinda's offer of helping the dead crossover and yes, his ghost half might give him a little advantage in reasoning with other spirits... but getting ghosts to crossover into a light that he didn't believe in? It just seemed false.

A bird gave a squawk as it collided with the still-invisible-ghost's leg, causing Danny to jump. "Sorry..." he murmured, watching the startled creature flap away in a terrified frenzy. Sighing, the teen looked down and tried to figure out where he was.

It didn't take long for him to locate the general area of Eli's apartment block a few miles away which gave him confidence that he'd be able to find his way back. Letting his eyes wonder slightly, Danny then noticed a small convenience store not that far away.

"Well, might as well buy a drink..." he mumbled, floating down into a near by alleyway. Checking that the coast was clear, the teen changed back into his human counterpart and made his way to the shop.

From the outside, the store looked quite old, weathered badly in a way that made the paint on it's outer walls peel. Danny just hoped the products on the inside were better cared for.

Slipping in, the teen unconsciously tapped the change in his back pocket. Despite the fact that the interior of the store was relatively warm compared to the outside world, Danny found himself shivering.

On the inside, the smallish store was relatively empty. The teen couldn't help but notice that the staff behind the counter appeared to be nearly drifting off. What a joyful place. Sighing, Danny made his way to the cold drinks section, locating the nearest coke before taking the quickest route to the check out. Well, that was until he spotted the meat section.

Instantly, Danny felt a pang in his chest.

"_Tuck – which would you rather give up? Your meat or your tech?" Danny asked, selecting a fry from his Nasty Burger meal. Across the table, the darker skinned male looked horrified._

"_I would rather _die_!" he responded, wrapping his hands lovingly around the oversized greasy burger already half-way to his mouth. Danny and the goth girl next to him shot each other a conspiratorial glance before Sam made a grab for Tucker's nearby PDA and Danny phased the other boy's burger out of his grasp._

_Within a matter of seconds, the techogeek was faced with a literal ultimatum._

"_Hey!" The teen exclaimed, stretching over the table to save his possessions. "No fair!"_

"_We answered all your questions, remember?" Sam stated, no remorse in her tone._

"_I'd rather become an astronaut than ever have kids."_

"_And I'd rather never have a boyfriend than wear pink for the rest of my life."_

"_Yeah, but those questions didn't cause you emotional pain!" Tucker groaned, stretching his arms a little further, thereby dipping his T-shirt in his ketchup. Sam shook her head, mockingly._

"_Oh, I don't know – I'm feeling pretty pained. What about you Danny?" The female gazed thoughtfully at her partner in crime. In return, Danny pressed a hand against his chest._

"_I'm feeling it too – right here."_

"_All right! Fine..." Tucker pulled back and continued to stare longingly at both the burger and the PDA._

Danny smiled slightly as he remembered that afternoon in the Nasty Burger. Of course, predictably they'd never gotten Tucker's answer as Skulker had flown in at that exact moment, declaring his desire of a Danny Phantom wall decoration over his fireplace. Seriously, even for a dead guy, he had a pretty sick idea of sport.

Just as he was about to shake away the echoing memory, Danny heard a voice he had secretly hoped he would never hear again.

"_Danny..._"

Jumping slightly, the teen spun on the spot, trying to locate the source of the voice. Nothing. Danny walked slowly back to the place he'd picked up his coke. Keeping his eyes out for anything abnormal, he placed the coke back down on its shelf.

"_Danny..._"

He instantly wished that he had brought his coat, feeling the cold seep in through his thin clothing. It didn't take long for Danny to realise that whoever was calling him must be one of Melinda's ghosts since apparently no one else in the small store seemed to have heard anything. For some reason, this just worked to make the halfa that little bit more uneasy. Amity ghosts he could deal with. Grandview ghosts he was less sure of...

"_Danny..._"

_There_. Danny's ears picked up the general direction of the voice. Following his senses, the halfa made his way to the far right of the store.

"_Danny,_" the voice taunted again, drawing Danny's attention to the door marked 'STAFF ONLY'. Figured that the ghost would take him somewhere off limits. The teen hesitated, contemplating over whether or not to push open the door. He could just walk away and ignore whatever was going on with his ghostly stalker but somehow his curiosity countered that argument. He might as well get this over and done with. Taking a deep breath, the teen turned around to make sure he wasn't being watched. It wouldn't do to get caught out before he'd even done anything.

Once he was sure it was safe, he grabbed the door handle and pushed.

If he'd felt cold before, he was almost literally freezing in this significantly darker room. It appeared that he was now in some sort of storage room, much like the basement in Melinda's store. Thankfully there was no one around to spot him as he moved around the room, trying to find some kind of clue as to where the voice had come from.

The teen jumped as something whizzed past him, a slight shadow leading the way to some unknown destination. Straightening his posture to make himself (hopefully) look unafraid, Danny followed. He couldn't turn back now. The shadow slipped away down a set of previously unnoticeable stairs and led the halfa down into a basement area. What was it with this ghost and being underground?

It was only as Danny reached the bottom step that he noticed the shadow pass through a wall at the far side of the room. The teen paused again. Instantly, he was reminded of the hole he had found in Melinda's basement; the tunnel that Adam had warned him about. Was this somehow connected? Was there another tunnel through that wall? It would make sense as the tunnel before was where the voice had come from the first time.

"So I just have to phase through a wall..." Danny murmured to himself, trying to pep talk himself into going further. "There's nothing to worry about. They're just ghosts without powers. What could they possibly do to you?" Biting his lip, the teen continued to the opposite wall, pressing a hand against it thoughtfully. His heart was racing a mile a minute and he had to fight hard to keep his breathing at a steady rate. Fear was a weakness that he couldn't afford to show right now.

Wanting the extra protection, Danny allowed the white rings of his transformation to pass over him. Feeling the icy temperature of the room fade into his own natural cool gave him what little confidence he needed to walk through the wall.

* * *

><p>Melinda was stressing out. Big time. Not only had the cake she had tried to bake toppled over in the oven – leaving more of a leaning tower than the pristine, upright chocolate cake she'd originally planned, but Aiden wasn't yet dressed up and Delia hadn't come back with the streamers she'd sent her for.<p>

She questioned her sanity once again as to why she was throwing a surprise party for the teenager in her care. Sure she wanted to mark the first week of his arrival with a bit of a bang but she had to wonder if this wasn't all a bit much. That's what Jim had asked her just two days ago when she'd sprung the idea onto him.

Of course now their roles had been completely reversed. Jim was all for this little celebration, having chipped in with the decorating and even a bit of the baking. Heck, he'd even spent most of the evening cooking up a bit of a party feast with Aiden as his little helper.

Melinda looked down at her watch as she emerged from her bedroom, dressed in a pretty blue knee-length chiffon dress. Five thirty. Eli would be bringing Danny back in half an hour. Trying her best not to panic, the mother picked up the three gifts from the landing, proceeding to carry them down the stairs and onto to sofa. This way, they'd be a lot more accessible when Danny made his entrance.

"I really hope he likes it..." she murmured to herself, staring down at the gift-wrapped boxes in front of her. One from Jim and her, one from Aiden and one from Delia and Ned. Too absorbed in her own thoughts to notice the presence behind her, Melinda jumped when she found a sturdy arm wrapped around her torso.

"I'm sure he'll love it," Jim whispered affectionately in her ear. Melinda allowed her head to fall back onto his chest as she gripped his arm.

"I'll hold you to that."

The two smiled in each other's presence. Jim just had this naturally warming effect on his wife and he most definitely knew it.

"Mummy – look what I made!" Aiden bounded into the living room, holding a card in his chubby hands. Releasing herself from Jim's grip, Melinda accepted the creation, looking over it in over pronounced wonder.

"Wow. That's amazing," she complimented as she took in the picture on the front of the folded white slip. The five-year-old had drawn a picture of all four of them; Jim, Melinda, Aiden and Danny all holding hands and looking very happy. They all stood next to a yellow splodge that represented their house and under a very bright looking sun. Across the top of the card, the child had written in big letters: Welcome to the family.

"Daddy helped with the writing," Aiden explained cheerfully. Melinda sent a warm glance towards her husband who smiled back.

"Well, it's very, very good." Melinda handed back the card. "Danny will really like that. Why don't you put it somewhere safe until he gets here?"

The child nodded gleefully before leaving the room again.

"Do you want me to get him changed?" Jim asked, crossing his arms as he stared after his ever energetic son.

"That would be a big help, thanks. I left his clothes out on his bed."

"I'm on it." Jim hesitated, departing only after he stole a short kiss from his wife.

Melinda smiled again, before pulling out her phone, she had to find out where Delia had got to. If her and Ned didn't get back soon, there wouldn't be any time to put the streamers up.

"This better be worth it," she murmured under her breath.

* * *

><p>"Hello?" Danny called out, wondering for the hundredth time whether or not he should just abandon this wild underground goose chase. It felt like he had been down in those tunnels for ages, with only the occasional whisper to keep him going.<p>

When he'd first entered the tunnel from the basement of the convenience store, Danny had quickly realised that to have any hope of actually seeing where he was going, he'd have to light up his hand with extra ghost energy. Sure his body gave off quite a bit of light but the darkness in this underground maze had pretty much swallowed it whole. If there was one thing the half-ghost now knew, it was that he never wanted to be anywhere near these tunnels ever again. They seemed to stretch under the entirety of Grandview which was creepy in itself.

To say that Danny's ghost sense had gone a little crazy down here was a bit of an understatement. It seemed that Adam hadn't been lying when he'd said that there were ghosts down here. The feeling of being watched was suffocating.

_All right, Danny. Just a little bit further and then you can go._ The teen promised himself. There was something extremely foreboding about this place and Danny really didn't want to stick around too long to find out what that was all about.

A figure standing before him finally forced the teen to stop his trek. Looking over the form, Danny saw that it was a man, fairly short in stature with dark brown eyes and a flurry of black hair over his box-rimmed glasses. The man wore a plain white shirt along with a pair of dark blue jeans. Definitely not the kind of guy you'd usually be afraid of but there was most definitely something dark and twisted in his eyes that was quick to put the halfa on edge.

Instinctively, Danny drew back into a defensive position.

"So you're the one they call Danny Phantom," the man commented, his nasally voice echoing through the tunnels in a way that could only be described as eerie.

"That's me. Who exactly are you?" Danny responded, trying hard to keep his voice level. The last thing he wanted to do was to look even in the slightest afraid.

The man pulled back his lips in what appeared to be an attempt of a smile but came off looking much more like a grimace. "Unimportant. I have to say, I'm rather impressed."

Danny blinked, feeling increasingly awkward as the dead man looked him up and down. "What with?"

"Why, you of course. When I was told that a half-dead fourteen year old had been fighting back ghosts such as Pariah Dark, I'll admit, I expected a little more muscle. You though... you're so much more delicious."

Danny took an involuntary step back, seriously not liking the man's tone of voice. Every fibre in his body was screaming at him to leave. Unable to resist the urge, Danny spun away from the ghost and attempted to escape back the way that he had come. However, he didn't get the chance when eight well built ghosts blocked his way.

Unwilling to give up that easily, Danny made to phase through them.

Now Danny's intangibility had never failed him before so it came as quite a shock to him when he heavily collided with one of the ghost men.

"What the..." The teen rubbed his head as he landed on his backside.

"Interesting, isn't it? The interaction between our kind of ghost and yours? I did a little bit of research last year into the properties of each. Did you know that your powers of intangibility have no effect on the more incorporeal of our family? Even in your most intangible state, you cannot pass through one of us bodiless deceased. I would go into the science of it all but I fear that I may be merely wasting my time. You wouldn't understand it anyway."

A small spark of fear ignited in Danny's chest as he realised he had pretty much lost one of his strongest defence mechanisms. His need to escape increased all the more. Deciding not to dwell on the ghosts words, Danny tried to phase through the roof. Again, he merely bounced off the surface.

"Oh and I took the liberty of coating the area in a thin layer of ectoplasm. Also impenetrable, if you were wondering." The man announced proudly, shoving his hands in his pockets as though he couldn't be more comfortable.

By now, Danny felt literally sick. He'd walked directly into a trap and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. Every second, he could feel more and more ghosts adding to the ever growing circle around him. It wasn't even like he could fly over them, the ceiling in this place was so low that he'd be grabbed before he could even blink. He had to admit, it was a pretty impressive plot.

Dropping to the floor, the teen raised his still glowing hand slightly higher. His ectoplasmic blasts might not do much against the number of ghosts surrounding him, but it made him feel slightly better to know he wasn't completely powerless.

"What do you want?" Danny asked, sounding a lot braver than he felt. The short man shrugged nonchalantly.

"Your help."

"Wow, I'm really flattered that you went to this much trouble but couldn't you just have asked? You know, like a _normal_ person?"

The man sighed, "And where would the fun be in that. Children these days have absolutely no imagination." Shorty took a small step forward, his followers moving with him. "No, I just thought I'd better give you a little... incentive to make this conversation that little bit easier."

Danny took an unconscious step back, his glare firmly glued to the ring leader. Anyone who knew Danny, knew that he hated being boxed in and now wasn't any different. "I'm guessing I won't like your proposition."

"We want access to the Ghost Zone."

The teen blinked. "What?"

Shorty let out a sharp bark of laughter. "Not what you expected, hey?"

Danny hesitated. What, did these guys want him to show them a portal? He couldn't even find one of those for himself, let alone for the entirety of Grandview's dead. The teen thought back to the portal he'd destroyed back home and shook his head. That was completely out of the picture. He'd made sure of that. The only other option really was Vlad's portal and the teen was most definitely never going to turn to Plasmius for help.

"I can't help you," he responded finally, lifting his gaze from where it had drifted on the floor to look back at Shorty. The small man's eyes narrowed.

"Say that again?"

"I can't help you."

"Oh, I think you can," the man spoke, darkness creeping into his voice. Danny frowned thoughtfully, refusing to be unnerved by the man's words.

"Why do you want to get into the Ghost Zone anyway? Most ghosts I know are trying to get out of it."

"Most ghosts you know have lived out most of there afterlife in the Zone. Haven't you ever wondered why the two types of ghosts are so different? It's all to do with ectoplasmic concentration, boy. Those bumbling idiots you're so used to merely managed to slip past the 'Light' and waltz straight into the Zone. Just a year in there gives a ghost the solid form he needs to impact himself upon the living world once more. Those 'powers' that you have – you were killed by your portal, the blast of ectoplasm to your system gave you instant tangibility in your ghost form.

"You're lucky – the ectoplasm would have killed most people... your other half merely accepted the change, almost as though it had been waiting for it..."

Danny stared blankly at the little man in front of him, trying to let his words sink in. "How do you know all this?" he asked quietly. How come Shorty seemed to know more about the halfa than he did himself?

"I told you." The man's voice had taken on a cold edge. "I did my research. What I want is for you to open up the Ghost Zone to each and every one of us. How is it fair that only the select few are given the chance of an afterlife to administrate themselves back on earth? Help us, Danny and you'll never have to worry about us again."

"Temping," Danny murmured, wanting to be anywhere but here. Slowly, the teen turned away from the ringmaster, pacing in what he hoped looked like a thinking manner and not a 'how the ectoplasm am I going to get out of this one?' manner. Even if he _could_ get these idiots into the Ghost Zone, which he couldn't because, again – he didn't have a portal, he wouldn't. Something told the halfa that giving these guy's the kind of powers ghosts back in Amity had, really wouldn't be such a good idea. There was something distinctly evil about the man he was talking to – sure his ghostly enemies weren't _good_ but he wouldn't go as far as saying they were nearly as devious as Shorty sounded.

Maybe Danny could just blast his way through the crowd...

"Look I'm sorry Mister 'Unimportant' but I still can't help. I don't know _how_ to get you into the Ghost Zone – I don't have a portal," the teen announced, realising that he'd have to speak up sooner or later. Shorty didn't look too impressed.

"Oh, I'm sure you could find a way if you put your mind to it." Shorty folded his arms in a rather threatening manner and the circle around the half-ghost grew tighter. Danny raised his own glowing hand, determined to show that he wasn't one to give in. Being intimidated was something he hated even more than being trapped.

"I guess it's time to put that famous bravery of yours to the test," the leader declared, something of a gleeful gleam in his eyes. "How does being beaten an inch from your half-life sound to you? Do you think that'll give you enough encouragement?"

Before Danny could answer, or do much of anything really, the hordes of ghosts that had until now stood idle, launched at him. The teen barely managed to pull up a green dome surrounding him before the fists of teems of furious ghosts were upon him.

Almost instantly, Danny could feel his temporary shield straining under the weight of such unabashed aggression. He knew that he wouldn't be able to hold it up much longer. Gritting his teeth, the teen struggled to push back the crowd, using his energy like an expanding wall. He needed to get them as far away from him as possible before he dropped the shield if he wanted to stand any chance of getting out of this unscathed.

He managed to push a little bit further before finally letting go. Before the ghosts could fall on him again, Danny proceeded to blast his way through the crowd ahead, using as much power as he could - he didn't know how ectoplasm worked with these ghosts. Thankfully, it appeared to work just as effectively as with the ghosts he was used to. The teen launched himself into the air, both his blasts and his speed allowing him to effectively manoeuvre through the wall of dead people.

Just a little longer like this and he'd be out of there.

However, it wasn't to be.

One of the spirits jumped onto the speeding half-ghost's back, causing the boy to fall heavily to the ground. Danny gasped in pain as he felt his arm twist beneath him. Not good.

By the time the ghost that had knocked him from his flight actually got off his back, he found himself closely surrounded once again. There was perhaps a moment's relief before the actual pain started.

Now Danny had been subject to a lot of pain in the past. The Ghost Portal had been his first real taste of the horrific sensation. Of course, since then he'd been zapped, pounded, thrown through walls and an awful lot more. This experience however, seemed far worse.

The weight of having at least one hundred fully matured ghosts pressing against him, either in the form of a fist or a foot was close to unbearable. What made it worse was that the pain wasn't even sharp – it was that dull ache of a pain that stays with you for days after its initial infliction. The teen couldn't even pull his arms up to cover his face.

An inch from his half-life, that's what the ghost had said. From what Danny was feeling now, he hardly believed these creatures would be able to stop themselves in time.

No matter how hard the teen tried, he couldn't blast enough of them off of him to get away. He had to think...

Suddenly, in the remote part of his brain that wasn't writhing in agony, he remembered the ability he had gained only a few weeks ago. It was a long shot but by this point, Danny was willing to do anything.

Taking a jagged breath in, the half-ghost drew together all of his remaining energy and screamed. The Ghostly Wail that emitted from his mouth took effect immediately. Within a matter of milliseconds, strong sound waves battered and pushed at the ghosts surrounding him, causing them to scatter and flee. A few seconds later and the teen found himself alone.

The Wail cut short and Danny was briefly aware of the white rings that passed down his body. The teen closed his eyes. Deep inside he knew that he really needed to get out of here. The last thing he wanted was to be under the force of all of that again. But all he really desired right at that moment, was to succumb to the darkness that pulled at his vision.

As the teen drifted, somewhere between consciousness and sleep, he was vaguely aware of someone, somewhere calling his name. He barely felt the arm wrap itself under him and gently pull him upright.

"_It's okay, Danny. Don't you worry. We'll get you home..."_

Seconds later, the teen felt himself fall into complete darkness.

* * *

><p>Eli bit his lip as he knocked on the door to Melinda's house. He'd been thinking through a thousand different explanations in his head as to where Danny was. One thing Eli had always failed at however, was lying... at least convincingly.<p>

The man cursed himself again for falling for Danny's vending machine trick. It was obvious that the teen didn't want to be locked away in the man's stuffy apartment for a full hour with nothing to do other than mess around with a laptop or read some psychology notes. Admittedly though, the man couldn't help but feel a little betrayed. There was a difference between getting away for ten minutes and disappearing completely. He'd thought that Danny might be a little more thoughtful than that.

The opening of the door caused Eli to jump slightly before forcing a smile on his face. There Melinda stood, her widest grin lighting up her expression. That was before she noticed he was alone.

"You made it..." she commented half-enthusiastically. "... Without Danny..."

"Well you see... it's a funny story because..." The man paused, suddenly unwilling to dampen the woman's bright mood. "...Danny's right behind me. I mean, not literally behind because... you know, you'd see him... but... well I thought it would be good if I... you know, went ahead so as to... be a part of the surprise... and that's why he's not here..." Eli blinked. "Now." Remember the whole, failing at lying thing...?

Melinda's eyes narrowed slightly, taking in the extremely nervous professor before merely nodding.

"Okay, good idea." Replacing her smile, Melinda pulled back from the door, leaving it open so that the man could follow.

"Wow," Eli breathed, walking in to a barrage of bright colours and happy faces. If this was the kind of treatment Danny got for making it through a week with Melinda and co. the professor just had to make it to the kid's birthday bash.

"So, how do you think we did?" Melinda asked happily, admiring the group's handy work.

"It's... Well, I still think it would have looked cooler if you'd have let me help..." joked Eli, trying to find the right words. He just really hoped that Danny turned up after all of this.

Melinda laughed. "Somehow I think you were better suited where you were."

"Where _is _Danny?" Delia spoke up – each of the invited party had lined up next to the staircase.

"He decided to take the more scenic route through the wood." Eli murmured, knowing that that would be a pretty believable answer. Danny was always in the woods. Delia however didn't seem convinced.

"Isn't that almost a mile away?"

"Eh, he likes the walk." Eli tried to brush it off, peeking into the living-room to see celebratory banners with words such as 'Congratulations'. Apparently it was the joke theme of the whole night – Congratulating Danny on coping with Melinda's small, wacky family for a whole week. Streamers hung from everywhere and the living-room table was coated in food platters with things such as cheese bites and mini sausages.

"Uncle Eli! Look! I made a card!" Aiden exclaimed, rushing over to meet the man. Eli took the small card from the boys hand, trying to make out it out. Seeing the family on the page made the professor smile.

"Hang on a minute... Where am _I_?"

"You're on holiday," the little boy explained immediately, as though it was the most obvious answer in the world. Eli couldn't help but laugh.

"Lucky me."

"Do you have your gift? I'll put it with the others." Jim stepped forward, holding his hand out. Eli pulled out a small package and passed it over. Melinda's husband thanked him before moving over to the sofa and balancing it on top of the other three gifts.

There was then a slight awkward pause as no one else really knew what to say. Eli glanced at his watch, really hoping Danny wouldn't take too long. Eli had told him that he was due home at six – it was now ten past.

_Come on, you little sneak._

As though in answer, there was a light tapping sound on the door. Instantly, Eli could feel the excitement in the room raise drastically as everyone got back into their 'SURPRISE' positions. Not really knowing where to stand, Eli shuffled in behind Aiden. There was a moment of silence as everyone waited for Melinda to reach the door.

_Three... Two... One..._

The woman pulled open the door, regaining her wide grin.

No one was expecting what happened next.

"_Danny_?" Melinda yelped, frozen in her position in the doorway.

An almost unrecognisable figure stood bent over in the doorway, one arm being held up by an invisible force as though resting on a set of tall shoulders. Blood seeped into every corner of his new clothing, as well more dried trails on several parts of the face, obscuring the boy's appearance. His hair appeared to be glued to his forehead through an excess of sweat.

The psychology professor only just took all of this in before the form fell forward into Melinda's motherly arms.

* * *

><p>AN: So... what did you think? To be honest - none of this was actually in the original plan, more a spur of the moment kind of thing.<p>

On the nineteenth of this month it will be the second year anniversary of this fiction... so I've decided to celebrate!

Basically, to celebrate, I want you to send in the wackiest one-shot idea that you can think of - it has to be Diversity related, but you can be fairly lenient on the rules - Basically, so long as Danny is still living with Melinda and is still friends with Eli, you can suggest anything (It could be a reveal - I'd prefer a really wacky reveal if I have to do one :P, or be set after the family know all about him ) It has no influence over the actual fiction currently out there, it's a little like an AU... for instance, you might ask me to write a section where Eli randomly takes up tap-dancing and drags Danny along with him or... there is a ghost attack and Aiden is the one that beats the attacker...? What I'm really wanting is the most crack-pot idea that you can come up with and my challenge is to do as many of them as I can before the 28th of July! So get those creative heads on! This can

This is an open challenge so if you want to think of anything yourself and produce your own, do it! Your deadline is the 1st of August, I wanna see some really good ones!

Does anyone fancy doing some kind of art work based on Adam? I keep trying but I just can't master his darn appearance...

All righty! It is now 1:25 am so I think I should probably sleep...

Thank you so much for being so unbelievably patient with me!

~Mea


	19. Speedy Recovery

Chapter 19 - Speedy Recovery

* * *

><p><em>Beep...<em>

_Beep..._

_Beep..._

Danny groaned as the consistent beeping drilled into his skull. He was rather comfortable in his sleep and he wasn't willing to let some cheap and dozy alarm clock break him out of it.

_Beep..._

_Beep..._

_Beep..._

All he had to do was ignore it and hopefully it would go away – perhaps Jazz would turn it off on her way to wake him up. Even her nagging voice would be better than that irritating beeping.

_Beep..._

_Beep..._

_Beep..._

_Beep..._

"All right – fine! I'm up," Danny muttered, slowly opening his eyes. What he saw when he did however was most definitely not what he was expecting.

He was laid in a small room painted a clinical blue colour... to his right there sat a chair, also blue, along with a bedside table covered in different coloured 'congratulations' cards and a tray of cookies.

To his left... a machine with a screen showing a pale green line that pulsated every so often in time with the beeping that had woken him up. Still coming round, Danny slowly noticed that the machine had several wires and that those wires, on closer inspection, lead to his bed and disappeared under the sheets. It was only when the sound of the beeping became gradually faster that understanding flooded through the teenager.

He was in a hospital.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!" Instantly, Danny tried to pull himself up, only to be knocked back down again by a barrage of pain. This was not good. He couldn't be in a hospital. His luck couldn't possibly be that bad that he'd wound up in the one location that he had viciously avoided for the past four months of his life. Surely.

However, the sight of several nurses flooding into the room, probably at the sound of his erratic heart rate, proved him wrong.

"Hello, Danny? I'm Natalie. You've had a little bit of an incident. You're in the hospital now. We're keeping a close eye on you. You're safe." One of the nurses, a tall, young faced woman with bushy blond hair, explained in one breath, pressing a calming hand on the boy's shoulder.

Safe. Right. He was in a hospital, surrounded by medical equipment that may react in any way to his ghost half, where his speedy healing could be measured by several different doctors or nurses. Safe really wasn't the word he would have used.

As though to aggravate him more, an older man kept touching his forehead and feeling his chest.

"I can't be here," Danny murmured under his breath, trying again to pull himself off the bed, despite the fact that he was being held down by the lady nurse's hand. Another wave of agony coursed through him but this time, he ignored it.

"Please, Danny, just relax. No one's going to hurt you," Natalie tried again, applying a little more pressure onto his shoulder and using the other hand to hold his arm. It wasn't her that was preventing him from moving far however, it was the wires strapped to his chest. Irritated, the teen used his free hand to pull the wires from under his hospital gown, ignoring the stinging response from his skin. A second later, Danny was on his feet, staggering towards the exit.

The teenager, therefore, did not notice the hasty nod that Natalie had given to another nurse and was caught by surprise when said nurse, a dark skinned man with muscles the size of Danny's head, stepped in front of him and grabbed his shoulders. The boy tried to pull away but he stood no chance in his human form against the wall of muscle before him.

Before Danny understood what was going on, he felt a small pinprick on his arm.

Instantly, the cold touch of sedative spread through the spot on his upper arm, flowing through his body at an alarming rate. Unable to fight it, Danny sagged into the arms of the male nurse, once again falling into the swirling depths of unconsciousness.

* * *

><p>Melinda bit her lip in worry as she sat alone in the waiting-room of the hospital. She couldn't get the image of Danny, beaten and covered in blood on her doorstep, out of her head. What could have possibly happened while the teenager was out? One thing was definite. She wasn't ever going to leave the teen without adult supervision again.<p>

Eli had finally admitted that Danny had somehow run away from him back at his apartment and at the time, the medium had gone ballistic. Danny had gone missing and Eli hadn't even gone out looking for him? The professor hadn't even called _her_ to tell her what was going on. He'd just closed his eyes and hoped that Danny would make it back to the house in time. That was most definitely something her long time friend would _not_ be doing again.

The woman sighed, pressing a hand against her forehead. She'd asked Delia and Ned to stay at the house with Aiden – seeing Danny in that state had frightened the five-year-old to such an extent that Melinda was worried it might leave an emotional scar. By the time the ambulance had come to the house, the child had barricaded himself in his room – something Melinda had never known him to do before. She didn't know if it had anything to do with his ability as an empath or whether the image that he'd seen had affected him in a way that he didn't want to share with his family.

"Melinda," the soft voice of her husband awoke the woman from her thoughts. Slowly, she raised her gaze to meet his, fearing the worst.

"How is he?"

Jim smiled slightly, taking the seat next to Melinda and taking her hands in his. "He's going to be fine," he replied comfortingly.

"Oh, thank God." The woman visibly sagged with relief, resting her head against the back of her chair.

"Eli wasn't lying though when he said that Danny doesn't like hospitals," added Jim, only half-joking. Melinda frowned and glanced at him.

"What do you mean?"

Jim looked over at the door that he'd come in through, obviously thinking about how best to word what he wanted to say.

"Danny woke up... about five minutes ago."

"Well that's great! Can we see him?" Melinda asked, jumping up in her seat. Jim shook his head.

"They had to give him a sedative. He freaked out when he found out where he was. Apparently he pulled off his wires and tried to run out of the room..." The man's eyes fastened on to the couple's entwined fingers, not wanting to look into his wife's face.

"Oh..." was pretty much all Melinda could think of to say. There was an awkward silence as the two sank into their own thoughts.

"Listen, Mel..." Jim started uncertainly, not moving his gaze. Melinda bit her lip, having a pretty good idea of what the man was about to say.

"Uh-huh?"

The doctor scowled, looking almost in pain. "I've been thinking... Maybe we should consider contacting child services." When his wife didn't answer, Jim allowed himself to look at her. "I didn't tell you about this because I didn't think it was important but... when I came home from work Saturday morning... Danny was there on the stairs... he looked as though he'd been beaten up. Melinda... if someone is doing this to Danny... maybe we're not equip to deal with it. Maybe he needs someone else."

Melinda allowed her gaze to linger a little while longer on her husband before she had to look away. "I've been thinking about that too..." And she had been. Ever since Danny had collapsed on her doorstep she'd been repeating those exact sentiments over and over in her head. Of course one of the thoughts that passed through the woman's head had been that Danny had been attacked by ghosts. If that was the case, then that wouldn't be something Danny could share with the authorities. On the other hand, if this was something natural and Danny didn't feel safe telling anyone about it...

"You shouldn't." Jim and Melinda both looked across the waiting-room to find Eli staring uncomfortably at them, hands in pockets. "Hand him over, that is. He'd never forgive you."

Slowly, Melinda released her hands from Jim's and fixed Eli with an accusatory look. "He's told you something, hasn't he?" Eli grimaced slightly, as though knowing that just by opening his mouth, he was betraying Danny's trust.

"Yes. In confidence." The man sighed, removing one hand from his pocket and running it through his hair. "Look, I don't know about the fights but I know that giving Danny up wouldn't do him any good psychologically."

"What did he tell you?" Jim asked, a deep frown obscuring his features. Undergoing and obvious mental conflict, Eli found a seat across from the couple and sank down into it.

"Listen... Danny told me this, believing I would keep it a secret..."

"We just want to understand," Melinda stressed, pressing a hand against her aching heart. She wanted to help.

"I know..." Eli paused again, looking down at the floor. "Danny lost his entire family a week and a half ago," he admitted finally, a pained expression on his face. A sapping cold flooded into Melinda's body at the words.

Danny... She thought back to the numerous times the teenager had looked away when Jim and her had had a 'moment' or when either of the parents had hugged or kissed Aiden. She remembered the way that Danny had constantly avoided any kind of questioning about his life before he came to Grandview. She remembered the expression on his face when she had thrown him her lunch when they'd first met. Instantly, it was all too much. The woman shook her head, struggling to deal with the sudden and overwhelming sympathy she felt for the teen. She knew how it felt to lose a family member but to lose them all simultaneously?

"How did he end up in Grandview? Why didn't child services pick him up when it happened?" Jim asked tightly, obviously trying to fight back his own emotions. Eli glanced over at him before pressing a hand against his forehead.

"Danny's legal guardian... or the guy who was supposed to take Danny on..." Eli paused, trying to find the best way to edit the information he'd been given in a way that didn't expose Danny's deeper secret... "Well... he and Danny don't get along... I say that – Danny literally loathes him. I think Danny said something about this Vlad guy having a huge problem with his dad... If I'm being honest with you... I think being passed on to Vlad would literally destroy Danny."

There was another pause as Melinda and Jim took in the new information. Melinda didn't know what to say. It was a lot to process. Carefully, she wrapped her hands around her elbows and looked up into her husband's eyes. It was obvious the closer she looked, just how conflicted the man was. Jim looked back at her, his expression fairly blank.

"We can't keep him forever..." he muttered eventually. Melinda's heart pounded as she realised that this was probably it. The moment the pair would make a decision which would effect Danny's life, for better or for worse.

"Jim..."

"Wait. Okay – I get it. You just want to help but... Look, I'll try and find a way to sort this all out legally. Just give me three weeks," Eli pleaded suddenly – picking up on the same vibe as Melinda. "If I can't find anything – _then _you can report him." It was obvious the man was clutching at straws but apparently, that was enough for Jim.

"Three weeks," he confirmed, giving the professor a small, tight smile. Eli's posture slumped almost instantly in relief.

Melinda bit her lip and looked over in the general direction of Danny's hospital room. She would just have to hope that three weeks was enough.

* * *

><p>If Danny ever got the choice between being knocked out and being drugged, the teen would take being knocked out any day. It was as the halfa opened his eyes for a second time that he was hit with an overwhelming wave of sickness. The only thought the boy could muster as he leaned over the side of his bed to vomit into rather fortunately positioned trash can was that he never <em>ever<em> wanted to experience this feeling again.

"You look appalling," a voice spoke up from the opposite end of the room, causing Danny to jolt slightly. The teenager looked up to see the lanky form of Adam leaning against the far wall.

"What do _you_ want?" the halfa asked bitterly, already in a sour mood. The only relief he could find was in the fact that he was no longer hooked up to that irritating machine. Adam paused as though carefully considering his words.

"I just thought I'd pop in to check up on my favourite little half-ghost," he quipped, allowing a small smirk to morph his features. "Well, that and the fact that I've always had a thing for chocolate biscuits." Adam gestured toward the tray of cookies still laying on Danny's bedside. The teen glanced over at the tray before shooting the older male a 'look'.

"I didn't think your type of ghost could eat."

"Oh, we can't." Adam waved his hand nonchalantly before folding his arms. "However, that doesn't mean I can't still appreciate the craftsmanship of such a food source."

Danny frowned, allowing himself to look slightly closer at the ghost before him. He couldn't put his finger on it exactly, but there was something slightly... off about the man. More off than usual that is.

"Well, whatever. I'm fine. Thanks for stopping by. See you around," Danny waved with one of those obviously fake smiles that are meant more for sarcasm than anything else. Adam, however, didn't move.

"What were you doing down in those tunnels?" he asked eventually. Of course – the real reason he was here. To gloat.

"I just fancied a stroll, to be honest," the teen bit back. That sour mood earlier mentioned? Yeah, that hadn't dissipated in the slightest.

"I did mention that you shouldn't go down there." By this point, Adam's smirk had dropped slightly, leaving a face showing only the smallest hints of actual seriousness.

"You know, I think I finally got the message." He'd only been conscious a matter of minutes but the memories of what had happened to put him in this position were swarming through his head a mile a minute. It was true – there had been moments back in those tunnels when Danny had been convinced he wouldn't make it. It had only been chance that his Ghostly Wail had scared off the entirety of the underground ghost population. If it hadn't... the teen didn't know where he would be.

"Do you know who's down there?" the teen asked suddenly on impulse. He might not like the English guy all that much, but if he could give him any information on his underground attacker then maybe his visit wouldn't be all that pointless.

"You're going to have to be a little more specific. I know of a lot of people down there."

"Short, has black hair and rectangular glasses... really annoying voice..." and a really creepy look in his eye that made the teen's blood turn cold... Adam nodded, looking more irritated than anything.

"Archie Holloway," he grumbled. If Danny didn't know any better, he'd think that Adam was fighting back some rather colourful language.

"I'm guessing you've met." Danny raised an eyebrow. In a way, the more the ghost could tell him about this 'Holloway' guy, the better.

Adam grimaced, looking out of the small window. "Once or twice. What did he want with you?"

"Access into the Ghost Zone. Something about the ectoplasmic concentration giving his gang ghost powers."

"I am guessing that you didn't give it to him." It was Adam's turn to raise an eyebrow, as his gaze snapped back to the teenager.

"Oh, come on. I'm not completely stupid. What I want to know, is who he is. What kind of sadistic creature hides out in tunnels under the ground, luring teenagers in and then proceeding to try and kill them with about a thousand other crazy ghosts?"

"Oh – you wouldn't have died. Only a high concentration of ecto-uranium can kill a half-ghost."

Danny blinked, instantly taken aback. "What?"

As though only just realising what he had said, Adam gave another uncharacteristic pause before shaking his head. "Forget I said anything."

"You can't say something like that and expect me to just forget about it," Danny growled, pulling himself out of the hospital bed. "How do you know that?"

The older man's eyes narrowed as he took in the suddenly aggressive teen. It was obvious to Danny that something was going on in that manipulative mind of his but the ghost fought to keep it hidden.

"You know you look ridiculous in that hospital gown, right?"

Danny scowled back, inches from blowing something up.

Adam wasn't going to tell him anything. He never did.

"All right, fine. I need to get out of here before the doctors start noticing that I'm already healing. Disappearing isn't an option, it'll just bring up more awkward questions. Since you're here, think you could 'find it in your heart' to help me out?" the teen asked, folding his arms to contain his annoyance.

Adam blinked, as though being asked for a favour was something he was unaccustomed to. It didn't take long for him recover however, and proceed to show another of his trademark smirks. "I'll see what I can do." A second later, he was gone.

Danny sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He had to think this through. How could he get out, without being caught whilst still being picked up by CCTV? It was a conundrum that didn't seem to have an answer. The teen probed the bruises around his body. The pain wasn't half as bad as it had been earlier on which only worked to emphasise his need to escape. He could probably spare another hour but after that, he'd be swimming in dangerous waters. All he needed was for the hospital to record his super healing and the government would be on him in a heart-beat.

It was only when his sensitive hearing picked up footsteps heading his way that the teen dragged himself back into the bed. It wouldn't be good if he was found waltzing around his room after being inches from death only a few hours earlier.

He'd only just pull the bed-sheet over himself before Natalie came waltzing into the room with an armful of papers. As soon as she spotted the teenager, the woman froze.

"You're awake!" She announced after wrestling with her inner voices.

"Is that your medical observation or...?"

The woman blinked at the blatant sarcasm in the kid's voice, before becoming animated all over again.

"Sorry, you just took me by surprise – the sedative usually lasts a little longer..." She bustled over to a small table at the other end of the room, placing down her papers, before turning to look back at her patient

So his ghost half burned out sedatives. Awesome.

He sighed and leaned back on his pillow. Picking a fight with a nurse probably wasn't in his best interests at this point. What was it his mum had always said? If they have any kind of power over you, it's probably best to just suck up to them... Only, you know, more prophetic sounding when coming from her.

"I'm sorry. About earlier, I mean. I just really don't like hospitals and I guess I kinda freaked out a little." Okay, so that may have been laying it on a little thick, but at least it seemed to calm the nurse down a little. Natalie's posture relaxed slightly and she nodded.

"It's okay. I understand. Hospitals can have that kind of effect on people..."

Okay – gag much? Danny bit his lip to prevent any of his sarcasm ripping apart his lost little boy act.

"So... is there any chance I'll be out of here any time soon?"

Anna hesitated before making her way over to the chart at the bottom of his bed "Danny, you've got to understand, you were beaten up pretty bad. It'll take days for your body to heal enough for you to move about remotely efficiently..." The woman plucked up the chart, eyes scanning the paper. "I'm afraid it looks like you'll be here for about a week."

A week. A cruddy week. _'Thank you, Archie Holloway'_, the teen grumbled mentally. Of course he wasn't planning on actually staying that long. He was going to get out of that run down hospital one way or another before things got even worse. Trying to hide his resentment, Danny smiled and nodded.

Natalie simply smiled back, glancing momentarily at her watch. "Your family are on their way to see you now. I'm afraid visiting hours are over in around half an hour so they be able to stay long. They are very worried about you."

_'They brought me to a hospital – they should be worried,'_ the teen thought, bitterly. Eli would most definitely be getting the silent treatment after this.

"Listen... Danny. The police are going to be here in about an hour."

"_What?_ Why?" Danny suddenly sat up that little bit straighter, thinking about his previous meeting with the Grandview police force. It was definitely nothing he ever wanted to relive.

"Well... you were attacked... and they need to take a statement from you..." She responded hesitantly, as though she thought of him as some ticking time bomb.

"I don't want to talk to them. It was nothing, really. I don't want to press charges or anything."

"Danny, I'm sorry but... well you're a minor... you really can't make that call."

Before Danny could say anything in response, Melinda burst into the room, looking more worried than he'd ever seen her, which was saying something.

"Danny! Are you okay? We were so worried about you," she exclaimed as she rushed over to him and started rubbing her hands all over his face.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Danny struggled to get away from her mothering fingers but the fact that he had to pretend that he was in agony prevented him from fighting too hard. Looking past the frantic woman, the boy spotted Jim and Eli, making their way, more calmly, into his room. The boy had just managed to shoot a short glare at his supposed friend before Melinda pulled back. Slowly, she turned to the lady nurse. "Hey, you don't think you could give us a few minutes, do you?"

Natalie smiled, sickeningly in response. "I'll just be outside if you need me." And then she left. Danny relaxed slightly back into his propped up pillow as Melinda perched on the side of his bed.

"What happened?" the woman asked, resting a hand gently on his knee. Danny hesitated, unsure of how much to tell his temporary guardian. She obviously knew by now about his ability to 'touch' ghosts so part of the truth wouldn't be too much to give her. He couldn't of course, mention the reason he'd been lured into the tunnels in the first place but he could perhaps feign ignorance.

Nodding to himself, the teen fastened his gaze onto his hands. "You know... down in the basement of your store? You've got that... tunnel running through it." The teen paused slightly, before launching into a brief summary of what had happened the first time he'd seen the tunnels and heard the voices luring him in.

"When I got out of Eli's apartment I went to a small convenience store and I heard them again. They drew me down into a basement like yours and I found another tunnel" (of course omitting the fact that he'd had to phase through a wall to get to it.) "When I got inside... I guess I'm just lucky someone was there to pull me out."

Yes, it was a very abridged version of events but it was enough to turn Melinda sombre.

"So... you were attacked by ghosts?" she asked, her previous franticness morphing into a cold and hard seriousness that almost frightened Danny. The teen just nodded, unconsciously rubbing the back of his neck. If he ever got his hands on that 'Archie Holloway', the little man would most definitely regret ever even thinking about him.

"Melinda, the police are going to be here in an hour. They'll be wanting a statement but I don't have anything to give them. I can't exactly tell them a bunch of invisible ghosts inhabiting the undergrounds of Grandview did this to me." Of course there were other points, like how he couldn't even give himself a legitimate story as the store that he entered was several miles away from where Eli lived and that the tunnels that he had mentioned had been blocked off by a solid brick wall. Danny'd be lucky not to end up in the loony bin.

"Don't worry, I'll sort it out." Melinda waved her hand, brushing off what he had just said as though it wasn't in the slightest bit important. "What I want to know is _why_ you were lured down into those tunnels and _why _you came back looking like death himself." She fixed him with this interrogative stare that chilled his bones slightly. She'd never looked at him like that before and she most definitely had the look down to an art. Gulping slightly, Danny looked away.

"Ghosts and I don't mix. I thought that much was obvious."

"Yes, but that doesn't explain why you were almost turned into one."

Oh, if she knew the irony of her comment...

"I... I don't know. Maybe I annoyed them somehow." _Like refusing to give them the ultimate power they needed to rule the world of the living._ Melinda just shook her head, this time with less venom.

"Okay then. Answer me one thing. What were you doing running away from Eli?"

Right. That. Admittedly, the teen hadn't expected that question to come up although the more he thought about it, the more he realised that he probably should have.

"I..." The teen coughed slightly, rubbing the back of his neck that little bit more vigorously. "I guess I just needed a little bit of fresh air..." It was a weak excuse really but at least it was an honest one.

"And you couldn't have asked Eli if you could both just... go for a walk or at least tell him where you were going?"

Darn it, both really good points. Melinda was almost better at guilt tripping him than his own mother had been. "I... Uh... I don't know... I'm sorry." Geez, he sounded like some wounded ten-year-old.

"I don't think it's me you need to be apologising to," Melinda stated, her tone merciless. She nodded her head towards Eli. Danny allowed himself to look over the man that had allowed him to be taken into this dreadful place, despite knowing the teen's biggest secret.

Recognising his young friend's accusatory gaze, Eli pulled uncomfortably at his deep purple T-shirt. "He doesn't have to..." The man started before Melinda abruptly cut him off.

"No, Eli, he does." Melinda held her gaze steady on the patient, making it clear that Danny wouldn't be getting off of this lightly.

Danny sighed. So much for the silent treatment. "I'm sorry I ran away, Eli." He murmured, as sincerely as he could. He was truly sorry for causing the family this much pain and worry but somehow, Eli's own betrayal seemed to vanquish his guilt ever so slightly.

Eli just nodded in response, awkwardly fixing his gaze on a spot on the floor.

After that, the conversation in the room seemed to ease up. The lady nurse came in only once more, to check on how Danny was feeling and to give the family an update on the boy's health. "Surprisingly speedy recovery" were among some of the words used which just worked to make Danny that little bit more nervous. Eventually, his visitors had to depart, leaving with saddened gazes. The teen had even allowed Melinda to kiss him lightly on the forehead, the way his mother used to before saying goodnight. Somehow, the pain he felt from the fond memories of his deceased parents was ever so slightly subdued by the presence of his temporary family.

Fifteen minutes had passed since said family's departure before Danny felt the weakened mist of his ghost sense slipping from his lips.

It didn't take much longer for Adam to materialise in the room looking rather smug.

"Oh great, your back" the teen dead-panned, closing his eyes in slight frustration. Couldn't anyone just leave him alone for a _second_?

"I missed you too." Before Danny could really understand what was going on, Adam had already pulled open a cupboard at the far end of the room, filled with bed sheets and had proceeded to send each of said sheets flying onto Danny's head.

"What are you doing?" Danny asked, tugging off each sheet as they proceeded to whack him in the face. Adam smirked, before appearing next to the bed.

"I am helping you get out of here."

Danny blinked, looking from the sheets, to Adam and then back again. "And how exactly are you doing that?"

"Let's just say, we are doing this 'old school'"

It was only as the man's eyes landed on the room's window, before Danny realised what he was getting at.

Danny grinned. He couldn't help it. It was just so simple! Brilliant, but simple. Jumping out of bed, the teen made his way to the window and pushed it open. He was only about four floors up. How much more believable could you get?

"Well, this could be fun."

* * *

><p>AN: WHOOP! I ACTUALLY UPDATED SOONER THAN ANTICIPATED!<p>

There are some parts of this chapter that I love and some parts that I despise so I'll leave it to you to figure out :P

*Ahem* So yes... I was going to leave you hanging on this until the 10th but that was before I realised that my one-shot challenges are actually a heck of a lot harder to write than originally anticipated. (I've started about three) So, from now on, I'm uploading something once a week - Yes, I updated Spellbound yesterday but that is completely beside the point...

So yes - One-shot at least every fortnight... officially! (My updating process will become less frequent after about the 3rd of September which is when I will be back at school so I'm making the most of it now while I still can :3)

I think that's all I really need to say! If I seem a little dead from the internet over this next week, it will be because I am away on mah hols and won't be able to reach any kind of Wi-Fi. So yeah... just a word of warning (Leaving at around half six in the morning tomorrow to arrive back home next Saturday)

Okay, okay, okay! I am officially signing off NOW!

Thanks for all your amazing reviews and go check out 'Spellbound'! :D

~Mea


	20. A Terrible Liar

Chapter 20 - A Terrible Liar

* * *

><p>Delia rubbed the corner of her eye tiredly as she flicked aimlessly through the channels on the TV. All she really wanted to do at this point was to curl up into a ball, and fall asleep. The amount of work she'd had going on this morning, combined with the stress of co-organising a party with Melinda, swiftly followed by the trauma of seeing a fourteen year-old boy pass out, looking half dead on the doorstep... she really ought to have collapsed already.<p>

Of course, there were particular reasons for her still being awake – for one, she was still technically in charge of looking after Aiden until Melinda got back and for another, she couldn't get the image of Danny, unconscious in Melinda's arms, out of her head. She'd only met the kid twice before and yet the impact of seeing him like that... it was heart-wrenching. As she'd learned from her full day with the child just a few days ago, Danny was a quirky and fairly light-hearted teen. She'd pretty much warmed to him from the moment she saw him, when he first broke the ballerina ornament and had seemed so genuinely distraught... You didn't get that in a lot of teenagers, Ned was certainly never that conscious of how his actions might have affected other people.

_"... Weather warnings in that area, be careful when driving..."_

_"... rebuilding itself after a freak explosion in a local fast food restaurant..."_

_"...Linus Van Horn has announced the publishing date for his new book..."_

Delia sighed and placed the remote down by her side. Maybe she could just close her eyes for a second. Ned was sleeping upstairs with Aiden so it wasn't like she was leaving the child all on his own. Plus, Melinda would call if there were any updates on Danny. Nodding to herself slightly, she quickly pulled up one of the cushions from Melinda's sofa and stretched out along the comfortable furniture. She'd only nap for about twenty minutes...

"... Oh just shut it, will ya? I've got a plan!"

Delia's eyes shot open as the voice came in through the hallway.

"I have! Thanks for the help and everything but shouldn't you be terrorising some little old ladies somewhere?"

Frowning, the woman quietly removed herself from the sofa and swept across the living room and into the hall. The speaker couldn't possibly be who she thought it was. There was no way in the world that the person in the hall could be...

"_Danny?_"

Delia blinked as the figure in front of her froze, looking more than awkward in his pale blue hospital gown.

"Delia!" the teen squeaked in response, eyes the size of saucepans. The woman crossed her arms very deliberately, giving the boy an obvious look up and down. The transformation from how he'd looked only a short number of hours ago to how he appeared now was absolutely ridiculous. Whereas before, the teen had been covered in blood and purply-blue bruises, his skin was now almost completely clear. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question. Aren't you supposed to be in a hospital bed right now?"

"It's... complicated?" Danny shrugged, shuffling his feet slightly.

"I can see that. I think you've got some explaining to do." Okay, so it wasn't that she wasn't relieved to see him safe and well in fact, all she really wanted to do was fuss over the kid. It was those very prominent motherly instincts that prevented her from doing so however. The same motherly instincts that had worked more than enough times on Ned throughout his lifetime. Danny sighed, scratching the back of his neck.

"You're right. I have but I really need to shower and get out of these clothes..." The boy's gaze drifted down his body, causing Delia to pause slightly. She could, of course, make Danny tell her what was going on right at that very second but, thinking about it, it'd probably be best if she waited for Melinda...

"All right. You go up and sort yourself out while I call Melinda. As soon as she gets here, I'll be expecting answers, okay?"

Danny nodded solemnly, staring at the floor.

"Okay," Delia repeated, moving out of the way so that the boy could get up the stairs. Slowly, he did just that, muttering a brief apology as he moved past her.

The woman sighed and rubbed her forehead, one arm still wrapped around her torso.

This was going to be an odd phone call.

* * *

><p><em>Idiot!<em>

Danny dived onto his bed, burying his face in his pillow and allowing his now wet hair to soak the gentle fabric. How stupid could he be? It should have at least crossed his mind that someone may just still be in the house. Aiden had to be somewhere, right?

No, Danny had just instantly jumped to the conclusion that Delia would have taken the youngster with her to deal with at her own house. Stupid conclusion, really.

Now he was stuck here and he was going to have to come up with some genius way to lie his way out of everything. There were seriously better ways he could come up with for giving away his biggest secret and although, if he managed to stick around for long enough, he probably would_ eventually _tell the family, this was most definitely not the way he wanted it to happen.

"Okay brain... _think._"

Instantly, he regretted sending Adam away as soon as he'd arrived. When he'd said that he had a plan, he'd basically been bluffing to get the annoying know-it-all off of his back.

Flipping over so that he was facing the ceiling, the boy began to absentmindedly rub at his older battle wounds.

Why did the world hate him so?

As though in answer to his question, he heard the front door swing open and a flustered sounding Melinda burst through.

"Danny!" Delia's call hit the kid like a bucket of ice cold water.

_You couldn't have given me more time? Really? _Danny groaned as he rose from his spot on the bed. How tempting it was just to slip under those covers now and hide from the world. Pulling on a baggy sweater, he grudgingly slipped out of his bedroom and drifted down the stairs.

Melinda, Eli and Jim all stood surrounding the entrance where Delia could be seen standing in the doorway of the living room.

It was almost worse than he'd expected. Unlike at the hospital, no one fussed over him. There was no move in his direction whatsoever other than the worried and frustrated expressions on everyone's faces. The teen was met with a wall of silence.

_Awkward..._

"Uh... hi?" Danny murmured, scratching the back of his head uncomfortably.

Melinda shook her head slightly as she gazed at the miraculously healing teenager before her. "Danny..." Unable to find the right words, the woman merely closed her mouth.

"I think we'd better sit down," Jim advised, softly.

The four adults made their way into the living room, leaving Danny alone on the staircase. The teen hesitated slightly before taking a deep breath and following after them. When everyone was comfortably seated – Delia, Melinda, Jim and Eli on the sofa and Danny curled up on the armchair – all eyes were once again on the young boy. He could pretty much see the questions in their eyes (other than Eli's that was). Why did he break out of Hospital? How could he have healed so quickly? How could he have gotten all the way back to the house in such a sort period of time? All very good questions and ones he couldn't give an answer to.

"Before you say anything..." Danny rubbed a hand up and down his arm, not really knowing where he was going with this. "I just want you to know that I really didn't mean to worry any of you and I'm really sorry."

"What's going on Danny?" Melinda asked, though he couldn't make out whether she was worried, annoyed or just tired of him.

"I... uh..." Danny frowned, completely unsure on what to say.

"Why don't we start with the healing?" Jim chipped in, gently.

Danny paused, trying to figure out a believable excuse. As though on instinct, his eyes connected with Eli's. The man was looking at him with a mixture of sympathy and longing; longing to protect him from what he was currently going thouh but not knowing how. It wasn't that that prompted Danny's reply though. Slowly, the teen found himself gazing at the man's shoulder; the same shoulder that had been completely blown apart all those nights ago.

"It was the ghosts..." Danny swallowed, unable to take his eyes off of Eli. "I was attacked by ghosts – the wounds heal faster than normal ones."

His response was answered with a wave of silence.

"And how did you get back?" Jim asked eventually. Danny frowned. For some reason, keeping his gaze locked onto his psychologist friend seemed to give him enough confidence to carry on. What was it that they had talked about in that cafe before?

"Phantom." The teen finally pulled his eyes away from Eli and focused back on the doctor. "Phantom helped me out – he flew me back."

True enough. If the answer satisfied Jim, he didn't show it. Actually, he didn't really seem to be showing any kind of emotion whatsoever. It was really unsettling.

"How are you feeling?" Eli questioned, cautiously. Well that depended completely on what he was referring to. If he was asking if Danny felt physically well, then yes – he felt perfectly okay. On an emotional level? Well he wasn't entirely sure yet.

"I'm fine." He gave a shaky smile. It couldn't have been all that convincing but it was all he could offer.

"All right. If it's okay with you, I'd like to give you a once over – make sure everything's alright health-wise," Jim declared, standing up from his position on the sofa. Everyone knew that that wasn't the man's sole intention but rather than stir up any more trouble, the teenager merely nodded and allowed the doctor to lead him out of the living room.

Eli managed to deliver an attempt at an encouraging smile but ultimately, Danny was on his own. _Again._

* * *

><p>Eli drummed his fingers impatiently on his lap as he listened to the two women in his company talk over what had just happened. Naturally both were rather upset about everything, Melinda most of all. The man just wished he could say something to make them feel a little better.<p>

Then again, he also wished he could completely erase the past few hours and try it over again. Of course he was referring to when Danny was still at his house, safe and sound.

If only the psychology professor could have come up with some more enticing or outdoorsy way of spending time with the youngster rather than attempting to shut him away in a stuffy apartment.

Maybe then, none of this would have ever happened.

Eli shook his head reprimandingly. He knew it wouldn't do him any good to dwell on things that he couldn't change. Pressing his fingertips into his forehead, the man tried to get a sense of what to do next. It was partially his fault that Danny had wound up in that hospital bed and so perhaps he should be thinking of ways to get the half-ghost out of trouble. Thing was, he couldn't just barge in on Jim and Danny and announce that Danny wasn't to blame. Sure his advice as a shrink often came in handy when dealing with things like this but... well somehow Jim seemed pretty past that. It wasn't that he didn't trust the kid or didn't want him around anymore – more the fact that he was frustrated in that he didn't seem able to help the boy. Jim just wanted what was best for Danny and didn't quite realise that he was it.

Sighing, Eli tried to tune back in to what was being said downstairs.

"I'm not sure what to do... I can't completely smother him – I'm not his parent. If it were Aiden, I'd try to let him know that I'd support him, whatever but with Danny? I don't know... I mean, I know he's a good kid and everything but... I don't know what he could have gotten himself into. What kind of situations gets a kid attacked every two seconds by ghosts? Even I'm not visited that often..."

Melinda hugged her knees, trying to find some sort of comfort within herself. Again, Eli felt the need to say something but didn't know what.

"Not to sound cliche or anything but I'm sure it's not as bad as you're making it out to be," Delia soothed, wrapping an arm around the smaller woman's shoulders. "It's probably just something Danny feels like he needs to work out himself. Just give him time and when he feels comfortable enough to talk with you about it, just be there for him. Nothing good is going to come out of forcing yourself onto him. Trust me – I live with Ned."

Despite himself, Eli smiled. He couldn't have said it better himself. The answer seemed to give some comfort to Melinda, as her shoulders lowered slightly from their tensed position.

"Talking about me?" A voice from the doorway drew everyone's attention. A refreshingly relaxed Ned stood, arms crossed with his little quirk of a smile.

"Speak of the devil," Delia joked, scooting over on the sofa to let her son on next to her. Ned wasted no time in taking up the offered seat.

"So how's Danny?" the boy asked, sounding both worried and confident at the same time. It was almost like he'd known that Danny would come through it all right.

"Pretty good, seeing as he's upstairs talking to Jim now."

"What?" Ned stared at his mother, not entirely sure whether to take her seriously or not.

"He's upstairs talking to Jim. He came back about half an hour ago by himself, completely recovered."

Ned blinked a few times, before grinning. "Awesome." Eli had known that Ned had a enormous level of interest and admiration for Danny as soon as he found out that the kid could speak to and make physical contact with ghosts. The glee that shone in the university student's eyes now was equal to that of a youngster opening his presents at Christmas.

"Well I'm glad you think that, because you're on childminding duty tomorrow." Delia chimed, a smug look on her face.

"What? Why?" Ned's grin diminished slightly.

"Well, we've talked about it, and Danny can't really work in the shop tomorrow in case anyone from the hospital goes around to talk to Melinda. Jim, Eli and I are working so that basically leaves you." The mother looked happier by the second.

"Mum, you know I'm going out with Alyssa tomorrow!" the boy complained, pulling his best pleading face.

"Aw, what a shame – looks like it'll be you, Danny _and_ Alyssa going out tomorrow, then."

Ned's begging turned into a glower, though he quickly shut up. Feeling rather awkward at this point, Eli decided it was probably time to leave. It looked as though Danny had enough support in the household without him.

"I think that's my queue to go. Early start in the morning." The professor rose from his seat. "It's all right – I'll let myself out," he hastily added as Melinda started to get up. He didn't want to disturb the slightly cheerier atmosphere in the room.

"Well, thanks for coming. It means a lot – to all of us." Meaning Danny as well. Eli gave Melinda an encouraging smile before heading out of the room to several calls of goodbye.

It was only as the man was leaving the house, that he glanced up at where Danny's bedroom was. He really hoped the teen was okay. Yes he'd gotten out of the attack without any serious injuries but events like that left a mark, mentally.

The professor would just have to hope that friends and the family could help him through it.

* * *

><p>Jim watched as Danny went over to sit on his bed, having already removed his sweater and shirt. Neither had spoken a word since leaving the crowd downstairs though both knew that they'd have to speak up sooner or later.<p>

The doctor was finding it rather hard to wrestle with his own overactive imagination. Obscure theories so far were that Danny had become some sort of smuggler in the ghost world, doing some rather immoral things to cross multiple ghosts over, that or he'd got into some sort of debt in regards to a single or multiple members of the dead. Neither were very flattering and if he were being honest, he didn't really believe in either of them but his brain just kept flying in those kinds of diretions.

He knew he probably wouldn't get any answers tonight and he couldn't force the boy to talk to him but there was one thing he could do.

Slowly, the man made his way over to the bed and removed the first aid kit from under it (they'd relocated it to make treating Danny easier) before sitting down next to the orphaned teenager.

The difference in the kid's appearance from a few hours ago was unbelievable. They'd literally feared for his life when he'd stumbled in from the street and now he looked healthier than he had the first time they'd met. The scrapes and bruises that he'd had originally were still there, as plain as day but were healing up rather well. Everything else? It was as though he'd got them months ago.

With a steady and trained hand, Jim began his analysis, gently applying pressure to different parts of the boy's chest and arms.

"You're a terrible liar – you know that, right?" Jim murmured eventually, not taking his eyes from his job.

"I... uh... don't know what you mean..." the teenager murmured solumnly back, careful not to move his body too much.

"You told Melinda that these injuries," the doctor gestured to the deep gashes on the boy's torso, "Were given to you by ghosts."

This time, Jim allowed himself to look up into his patient's startling blue eyes. It took Danny a while to catch on but the deflation in those bright orbs was quite evident when he did.

"... And I just gave the same explanation for the fast healing ones," the teen finished, letting his gaze drift to the carpet. Jim's silence was enough of a confirmation.

The doctor paused a little while longer, focusing back on the health check.

"Danny, I know that you've been through a lot and I know that you probably aren't ready to talk to us about the ins and outs of your life. I'm not asking you to. All I'm asking is that you stop lying to us."

"I don't mean to-"

"I know." Jim gave a single comforting nod, not wanting an apology from the young boy. The duo both slipped into silence. Neither felt particularlly comfortable in this situation but neither was about complain. It was just one of those parts of life that you have to get through on occasion.

"I think we can leave these older injuries out to aerate and as far as I can see, you're not going to need any further treatment for your recent ones so we're just going to have to keep an eye on everything." The words seemed odly formal in the man's mouth and it seemed like an abstract deter from their original conversation. Still, the man put back the unused first aid kit and found himself back on the bed with Danny.

For his part, Danny simply grabbed his previously abandoned shirt from behind him and pulled it back on. Quiet shrowded them both once again.

"Jim... do you think I'm bad?"

The doctor blinked, unsure of what to make of that question. "What makes you think that?"

Danny paused, staring blankly down at his hands. "From what you've seen of me so far. I've lied to everyone, come back bloodied up more that once and managed to upset your entire family. Amongst other things, does that make me a bad person?"

"Okay, listen to me," Jim started, leaning in slightly to grab the boy's complete attention, "I'm not sure what 'other things' have been going on but from everything that I've seen, you are not a bad person. Trust me, I've dealt with a heck of a lot of them. As for everything else..." the doctor sighed, "I'm not going to pretend that everything is a-okay because you're right – it's not. What I will say is that as long as your intentions are good, there's nothing particularly _evil_ about it. I just think that maybe you need to start opening up a little more, not just to Eli, but to us as well. I don't want to put any pressure on you but the lying does have to stop, even if you don't give any explanation whatsoever."

Danny nodded, but didn't brighten up any. Taking a deep breath, Jim stood and placed a hand briefly on his young ward's shoulder. "I'm all ways here if you need to talk."

With that, he was gone, leaving a confused but slightly more comfortable teen staring at a blank wall.

* * *

><p>AN: All right! That is it for the angst! (At least for a while...) Next chapter will be certifiably more cheerful. How do I know? I'm already writing it! :3<p>

Ahem... For those who wanted more Danny/Jim bonding - here you have it! I really wish I could write more of those two...

Special thanks goes to Turkeyhead987 for drawing her rendition of Adam! Go check it out on Deviantart! (Under same name.)

I think that's all I've really got to say... School's started back so I'm not entirely sure how my updating is going to fare but you've stuck with me this far so I'm hoping you'll continue to do so! *Hopeful grin*

Oh! Guess what?! I turned 18 on Sunday! We went to the Warner Brothers Harry Potter Studio Tour down near London. BEST BIRTHDAY EVER! I suggest everyone goes there! Gave me a lot of scope for Spellbound *wink* AND I got a Hufflepuff jacket as well! Just bragging ;).

Anywho - enough of my amazing personal life! Hope you've enjoyed it and I'll be back soon for an update of Spellbound!

~Mea


	21. The Camp

Chapter 21 - The Camp

* * *

><p>"I think it's this way…" Artie whispered, beckoning to the girl behind him. Sam simply stared at the crouching figure, refusing to move a step closer.<p>

"Are you sure this time, or is this just another guess?"

Artie shot the ghost a hurt look. "I don't guess. I know. And I know that it's this way." He jerked his head in the direction he'd earlier indicated.

Sam restrained herself from mentioning that mere seconds ago the older ghost had only _thought _that it was that way. Whatever 'it' was, of course. All Artie had really said was that there was a camp of scientists somewhere in the middle of nowhere and that she'd really want to see it. The ghost girl didn't usually follow teenage boys out into 'the middle of nowhere' in a golden sunset, that she'd only met a few days ago. That's the thing about being a ghost though – you never have to worry about getting brutally murdered. Well… her type of ghost anyway.

The girl rolled her eyes. "All right, we'll have a look." It wasn't like she had anything better to be doing.

Artie instantly brightened up, standing so that he rose above her by just over a foot. For a sixteen–year-old he was surprisingly fickle.

"Awesome!" He held out his hand for her to take and after a moment's deliberation, she did.

Seconds later, the pair found themselves in the middle of a barren field. That was it. A barren field.

Sam groaned and pulled herself away from Artie. "What happened to you knowing?"

"I do know!" The taller ghost wiped his hands on his jeans, looking around him in agitation. This wasn't going at all how he hoped it would.

"Is there even anything out here?"

Artie blinked, turning to face his company. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Are you sure you're not just making it up? I know you've been on your own for a long time, but if you wanted someone to talk to, you could have just asked."

Artie scoffed. "I'm not that desperate, Goth-girl."

Sam sighed before shaking her head and making to leave. She could do without the temperamental teenager act today. Subconsciously, a hand rested on the medallion around her neck. Something had happened to Danny yesterday, she wasn't sure what, but she could feel it. It was all she could do not to skip over there right that second and check on him. She wouldn't even allow herself to connect to his thoughts and find out exactly what was going on. It wasn't right. It wasn't healthy. As far as she knew, she'd feel a shift in the medallion's energy if anything went very wrong and she had to intervene. Actively seeking him out and watching him live his life with other people? It hurt. It hurt a lot. She couldn't keep it up and she knew, despite being his 'guardian', she had to distance herself from him.

"Ah! Wait!" Artie called out, catching Sam just as she was about to skip. The 'Goth-girl' rolled her eyes and turned back to him.

"What now?"

"Over there! I see smoke!"

Sam narrowed her eyes before following the general direction of Artie's wild gestures. Sure enough, somewhere in the distance was a thin trail of black smoke. Maybe the boy wasn't as out of it as she'd originally thought.

"All right, don't go looking _too _proud of yourself. We don't know what it is yet."

"It's a camp of scientists! I told you!" Artie shook his head in exasperation before vanishing on the spot.

"Wait up!" Sam yelled, a small smile making its way onto her face before she too disappeared and reappeared in close proximity to a smallish camp of caravans and oversized trucks. The camp looked pretty impressive, not one of the vehicles looked in any way cheap and the caravans had to have cost a fortune. But there was something else that caught her eye – a discrete shimmer in the air that on closer inspection looked a tad green – that told her that this was no ordinary camping trip.

"Told you," Artie whispered, coming up behind her. "Scientists."

"What makes you so sure?" Sam asked, still distracted by the shimmer.

"Come on! I'll show you." With that, the ghost-boy shot forward.

"Wait! You can't go in there - there's a ghost…" Sam blinked as Artie passed straight through the green shimmer. "… Shield…" The girl frowned, staring at the other ghost like he was some sort of freak of nature.

Artie simply looked back at her with an inquisitive gaze and shrugged. "Can't be a very good one then."

"No… It can't be…" Hesitantly, the teenager made her way to the shimmering force field. She slowly pushed her hand forward into the dome… Nothing happened. She passed straight through it. There was no denying that this was a ghost shield though – she'd seen enough of them in her life through fighting ghosts. So… why wasn't it working?

"Hurry up then!" Artie called, bounding into the maze of makeshift buildings. Sam sighed and forced herself to break from her musings. She had an over-excited teenager to look after.

If these people were ghost aware, they might not be very hospitable to two dead kids roaming their camp.

She followed behind the older ghost as he made his way through the site.

"How did you even find this place?" She asked, catching up to him. Artie shrugged distractedly.

"I'm an explorer."

"Right... yeah..." Artie the explorer-adventurer-super-spy. How could she forget? A door slammed somewhere off to their right, causing both of them to jump. When they looked back, there was no one to be seen.

"Eerie..." Artie winked before carrying on his carefree trot. "This way."

However, Sam felt a sudden wave of unease. Something about this place seemed familiar. It wasn't so much the situation or the mobile buildings themselves... more the atmosphere. For a camp in the middle of a muddy field, it was far too... pristine.

There wasn't a single mud-splatter to be seen.

"Stop!" Artie announced, throwing out his arm to prevent his companion from going any further.

"What is it?"

"We're here." He pulled Sam to the side so that a tree stood between them and whatever Artie was talking about. "The heart of the scientists' lair."

Sam raised an eyebrow at the boy's antics before peeking around the trunk of the tree.

Her heart froze.

Standing less than ten metres ahead of her was a huddle of men, all dressed in white suits and sporting a silver ear piece.

The Guys in White.

But it couldn't be... Vlad had diverted them all towards New Mexico a week ago. What were they doing in Ohio?

Unless she'd missed something.

"Artie," Sam spun around to face her new accomplice. "I'm going to need your help."

* * *

><p>AN: Really, really short update this time but I wanted to get something out before 2014... I plan to post another chapter within the next few days to make up for it!<p>

Wow... Hello! Long time no see! Hope you've all had a great Christmas/New Year - I know I have! If you're wondering where Artie has come from all of a sudden... he's a character I've been working on for a while for one of my original stories and I had an horrific case of 'the block' so he ended up here as well... *whistles innocently*.

For anyone wondering about SB (Spellbound), I'm going to have to make a confession. I don't like this up coming chapter - don't like as in, I'm on the seventh rewrite (no exaggeration). Basically, I can't give you a concrete answer on when it is going to be updated. I'm guesstimating late January/early February. Don't kill me! O.o

So yeah... I'll see you in a few days for chapter 22!

Wishing you a Happy New Year!

~Mea


	22. School

Chapter 22 - School

So there appears to have been a few glitches with this chapter - apologies, I've only just found out! Hopefully everything is fixed now, so enjoy the previously missing Chapter 22!

* * *

><p><em>Crash!<em>

Danny winced as the pottery owl he'd just been holding smashed on the side of the desk. The phone continued to ring, mocking the him for being so easy to startle. The teenager looked down at the broken shards of owl.

He really hoped it didn't mean anything too much to Eli.

Danny glanced around the older man's office, looking for something amid the books and ornaments that might help him clean up. Eli had taken the boy into the university that morning, saying that it would do him good to be in an actual learning environment, instead of cooped up in Melinda's shop. Despite that, Danny hadn't actually been allowed to leave Eli's room.

It didn't bother him all that much – after all, he knew the real reason he was being hidden. After running away from the hospital last night, the services would be asking questions. If they came by Melinda's store, or her house and stumbled across him, they'd find a perfectly healthy boy with no signs of the near-fatal injuries he'd acquired the previous day. Melinda had enough to deal with formally discharging him from hospital – she didn't need the extra pressure of explaining the unexplainable.

Eli's office was probably the last place they'd think to look for him, and Danny knew he should be grateful for the family's protection. Despite the fact that they hardly knew him, and so far he'd only caused them trouble, they were still willing to help him out. He'd never met people like them before.

"Evelyn!"

Danny jumped, and turned to find Eli staring wide eyed at the fragmented owl spread across his desk.

"Eli! I am _so_ sorry! Your phone rang-"

"So you decided to destroy my baby owl?" Eli interrupted, rushing over to his 'baby owl' and pushing Danny out of the way. "Oh no! The phone is ringing! I know, I'll break Eli's stuff."

"No – I just..." Danny paused, raising an eyebrow as the psychology professor began to caress the slithers of pottery.

"I am so sorry, Evelyn. I'm sure it was an accident..."

Danny shook his head in disbelief. "You called your ornament Evelyn?"

"Yes I called my ornament Evelyn," snapped Eli, before solemnly sweeping the remnants of owl into his hand. He moved to the other side of his desk and opened a draw. Pulling out a shoe box, the man gently placed the contents of his hand inside. He then put the shoe box back in the drawer and slumped down into his desk chair.

"Eli... I'm sorry about the owl. It _was_ an accident," Danny tried to appease, mostly sincere, partly incredulous. Eli ran a hand through his hair before nodding.

"I know."

There was a moment of awkward silence while Eli fiddled with a pen he'd retrieved from his pocket and Danny tried to grasp what had just happened.

"So, what do you think of the university so far?"

"I don't know, I haven't seen all that much of it." And he hadn't. This room pretty much summed it up – so much for a learning environment. Eli sighed, drumming the pen on the side of his head.

"You know you kinda brought this on yourself," he murmured eventually.

"Oh yes, because I meant to get hospitalised by a bunch of ghost thugs." In truth, Danny couldn't help but still feel a slight bit of resentment towards his friend. What was the point of telling him his secret if he couldn't stop a teenage boy from being admitted into hospital?

"You're the one who ran away from me," Eli retorted, closing his eyes to hide his hurt. "But that's not what I'm talking about."

Danny blinked, pulling up a seat to sit opposite the older man. "Well then, what _are_ you talking about?"

The man paused. He took a deep breath and dropped the pencil onto the table. "I'm talking about... I mean... Maybe none of this would have happened if you'd told them the truth. The whole truth. About everything."

"You mean if I told them I was a halfa?" Something hardened in Danny's eyes.

"Exactly."

It wasn't so much that Eli had dared suggest it, it was more the fact that Danny had been warring with himself over that very thought all of last night. He knew that if he wanted to stay with the family, he'd have to tell them eventually but he also knew that as soon as he told them, he couldn't un-tell them. It was a huge decision and he wanted to do it in his own time and in a way that wouldn't horrify them. Yes they dealt with ghosts on a daily basis, but they didn't have to deal with half-ghosts, or even ectoplasm charged ghosts. If he told them, he'd be opening the window to a world that he wasn't sure the family was ready for. The only reason Eli knew was because he'd seen – he'd already thrown himself right into the middle of it.

"It's not going to happen. Not yet," Danny announced, more sure now than he'd ever been before. Eli sighed again before nodding to himself.

"All right." The man leaned back in his chair again. He stayed silent for what felt like a long time. Then he pulled open another draw of his desk and took something else out. He kept it below the desk so that Danny didn't know what it was. "Well then... Looks like you might be hanging around here quite a bit over the next few days. As a teacher, I'd suggest you use your abilities to slip into some of the lessons here and maybe learn something. As a friend..." A small smile implanted itself onto the man's weary face. He lifted the device in his hand onto the table. "There are a few perks to being pals with the woman that runs the lost and found.

Danny stared down at the device on the table.

"It's a DS..." He murmured blankly. Eli winked. "But... doesn't it belong to someone?"

"It _did_. The kid who lost it got bought a new one as a replacement. The lost and found lady passed it on to me as a thanks for finding a letter left to her from her dead husband. See! Helping people out really does pay." Grinning now, Eli pushed the device across the desk surface so that it rested directly in front of the halfa.

Danny blinked, looking from the DS to the man offering him it. "You're passing it on to me?"

Eli nodded. "Why not? You're going to be cooped up for a while, why not enjoy it. I think there are about seven games on the card inside it – it's one of those downloadable card thingies."

Cautiously, as if afraid this act of kindness was a joke, Danny lifted the open DS from the table and flicked the on switch. The screen flickered to life, displaying the Nintendo logo.

Danny's eyes lit up. The boy slammed the lid shut, beaming at his friend in a way he hadn't for a few days.

"Don't get too excited – it comes with a condition." Eli announced, smiling almost as much as the younger male.

"Shoot."

"Don't go wandering off on your own again. We don't want another scare like yesterdays'." The man's gaze sobered slightly, convincing Danny that he was being deadly serious. The teen nodded.

"Deal." If ghosts like Holloway were roaming the streets of Grandview, Danny really wasn't all that bothered about 'wandering off' again.

"All right then." Something childish glimmered in the professor's eyes and within seconds, he'd manoeuvred his desk chair around the table to sit beside Danny. "Let's get this baby started."

* * *

><p>"Are you feeling all right, sweetheart?" Miss Mayflower, Aiden's teacher asked, kneeling down next to the uncharacteristically quiet little boy.<p>

"Yes, Miss," Aiden murmured. The reading book in front of him lay untouched, despite the fact that the rest of the class were already on page six.

"Are you sure? You're looking a little peaky. Do you want to sit outside for a while?"

The entire class by this point had turned to see what all the commotion was about. Anything to get them out of reading to themselves.

Aiden's eyes didn't lift from the table as he thought about it. He didn't feel poorly in any way, he just felt sad. Very sad. He thought that maybe it was because Danny had gotten hurt yesterday. But that didn't make any sense, because he'd seen Danny this morning, and he had looked all better. He couldn't still be upset about that... could he?

The little boy glanced over at the classroom window. Maybe he did want to sit outside. It was really warm in this classroom and outside sounded a lot colder. Not needing any more convincing, he nodded. Gently, his teacher placed a hand on his arm and helped him up, although he could have done it himself. The empath allowed himself to be led through the fire escape. He noted how cold the air was as soon as he had left the classroom and that made him feel slightly happier. Danny always felt cold. Being with Danny made him feel safe.

"Will you me all right out here for five minutes? You can come in again as soon as you want to. I'll just be inside," Miss Mayflower soothed, placing a chair from the classroom down behind her pupil.

"Okay."

"Good boy." The teacher gave Aiden a small pat on the head before disappearing back into the classroom.

The little boy took a deep breath, sat down and tried to empty his mind. It was something his mother had taught him to try and deal with his abilities if they ever got too much.

The wind pushed its way through the trees, scattering any leaves that had managed to cling on as winter approached. There was something about the wind that reminded Aiden of Danny. It was light and fun at times whilst at others it could be fierce and strong and blow over old ladies.

Not that Danny ever blew over old ladies of course.

Aiden couldn't help but think back to the first time he had met the teenager. There was something about him that had seemed powerful and overwhelming. Kind of how the energy of a ghost felt, only about fifty times stronger. At first it had startled him. The only other time he'd felt energy like that before was when the Shinies all joined up to fight the Shadows in his mummy's shop. Danny's was distinctly colder but it was still there. Aiden had wondered if Danny was a ghost but as soon as his daddy had walked in, he knew that that couldn't be true. His daddy couldn't see ghosts. So Aiden had just decided to accept Danny with all his ghostly energy.

But last night...

Aiden sniffed, bringing a leg up to rest against his chest. He just wished he could forget.

Aiden sensed the ghost long before he saw it. He didn't bother to check if anyone inside the classroom was watching him. By now they'd all be submerged in Miss Mayflower's story telling. She was good at telling stories.

"Is it not a little cold to be sitting around outside without a coat on?" a voice murmured from beside him. Aiden turned to see a tall man in a posh suit staring down at him.

"I like the cold," the boy replied, not shaken in the slightest at the man's presence. He'd been visited by ghosts his whole life. It wasn't very often he got scared by one. This seemed to impress the spirit as a small smirk made its way onto his boyish face.

"It's Aiden, isn't it? You're Melinda's son."

"Yes." Aiden found his gaze drawn to the man's bow-tie. It was simple and black but there was something about it that seemed slightly skewif. It was almost like it didn't fit properly. But why would a ghost envision himself in a suit with a skewif bow-tie?

Seemingly oblivious to Aiden's diverted attention, the tall ghost knelt down next to him. "So what are you doing out here then?"

The boy paused, taking his eyes off of the man's suit. There was something strikingly familiar about this guy. Aiden had seen him before, fairly recently. He couldn't put his finger on where. "The classroom was too warm."

"Ah, those warm classrooms are always the worst," the ghost muttered. Aiden nodded robotically.

Maybe he _was_ feeling a little poorly. He certainly wasn't himself. He was normally happy to talk to spirits – a lot of the time they were a lot more interesting than alive people. Yet here he was, and all he really wanted was to be left alone.

"You're thinking about Danny... aren't you?" the ghost asked, keeping his eyes on the boy's face. Aiden blinked, shocked at the man's knowledge. Slowly, he nodded again.

"Ah, well. I wouldn't worry about him. He's made of tough stuff. Trust me, I know." The man smiled slightly, as if remembering something happy. What was strange was that Aiden knew the man was right. Danny was tough and from what Aiden had seen and felt – he could fight anything. It was comforting, actually.

"Who are you?"

"Oh, how rude of me. I apologise. My name is Adam. I'm a... _friend_ of Danny's."

Aiden couldn't help but laugh a little when the man stood up and bowed to him. He liked this ghost. He was funny.

"Nice to meet you," he giggled lightly, some of his earlier sadness drifting away.

"Yes, I suppose it is." Adam grinned before kneeling down again. "You know, when I was your age, I used to hate school."

Aiden cocked his head to one side, glancing back through the window to see everyone in his class singing along with one of Miss Mayflower's story songs. "I love my school," he confided in the ghost. Adam smiled again.

"Ah yes, your school looks a lot nicer than mine was. We used to have teachers that would turn green and hairy if you didn't do as you were told, and our classrooms were so smelly, that a troll lived there at night time, when we all went home," the ghost said, leaning in slightly to entice the youngster. Aiden simply shook his head.

"No, you're lying! You can't trick me." The boy wore his own proud smile, as though he had foiled the spirit's master plan. Adam lifted a hand to his chest as though he had been physically hurt by the little boy's doubt.

"I tell no lie!" he declared, pulling up his sleeve to show a set of scars on the back of his right arm. "That there is from when I tried to sneak into the school when I'd forgotten my book-bag. I went into the classroom and there he was. The biggest troll you've ever seen, eating one of the student's confiscated packed-lunch."

"What happened?" Aiden prompted, already completely engrossed in the man's tall tale.

"Well, my book-bag was under my desk, which was right behind the troll, and the door that I'd gone through to get there was at the side of the troll. So what I did, I crept around the room, keeping my back against the wall, because he hadn't seen me yet..."

The little boy found himself so entwined in the story that he didn't register the slight change in the ghost's accent.

"... I was trying to be as quiet as I could be and the troll just kept chomping through the lunch. I managed to get to my bag and just reached underneath before I banged my head on the table. That caught the troll's attention and before I could shout, he'd grabbed me by the arm. 'Whotchu doin' in my room?'"

Aiden giggled at the man's exaggerated troll voice.

"'Sorry, sir. I didn't mean anything by it – I just came to get my bag.' But he thought I was there for his lunch and he told me he'd gobble me up instead."

"What did you do?"

Adam smiled cockily and pulled himself up straighter. "Well, I wasn't about to be eaten, so I reached inside my book-bag and pulled out my ruler. Like I was carrying a sword, I bopped the troll on his head so he got all confused, and then I hit him really hard on his wrist so that he would let me go. When he did, I ran away, really, really fast."

"Wow..." Aiden leaned back on his chair slightly, staring wide-eyed at the story teller. "I don't think I would have liked that school either..."

Adam shook his head, allowing both of them to sink into companionable silence. They sat there for a few minutes before Miss Mayflower came trundling out of her classroom.

"Are you feeling any better, Aiden?" she asked, heading over to rest a hand on the boy's shoulder. Aiden glanced at Adam who nodded encouragingly. Thoroughly cheered up, the boy also nodded.

"Lots and lots, Miss."

Miss Mayflower smiled, moving her hand away. "Good. Do you want to come back inside now then? It's a little chilly out here."

Aiden nodded again, standing and taking a hold of his chair. Miss Mayflower disappeared back into the classroom before he could make any other response. "Thank you for telling me that story." Aiden beamed at the ghost who had also risen.

"You're welcome, kiddo." Completely out of habit, or maybe as a sign of friendship, Adam reached out an intangible hand to ruffle the little boy's hair. The second his hand reached Aiden however, something changed dramatically in the empath's behaviour.

The boy's eyes widened in fear and his whole body began to shake.

"Aiden? Aiden, what's wrong?" Adam asked, sounding very alarmed.

"I'm scared. I'm really, really scared." Aiden balled his hands into fists and Adam could almost see the pulse in his neck beating erratically.

"Why? What's scaring you?" Adam tried his best to sound calm, as he held his hands out to the boy to show him he was there for him.

"The big men."

Adam glanced around, very aware of the fact that they were the only ones in the area. Suddenly, the man remembered the empathic powers the boy had. He strained his mind for someone that he knew that could possibly be feeling the way Aiden was right now.

The answer hit him like a lead pipe.

"Aiden. The big men. Do you know what they look like? Do you know how close they are?" he was clutching at straws here, but he needed to know. The boy didn't answer. "Aiden!"

As quickly as the fit of terror had come on, it vanished. The little boy blinked several times, unable to explain his racing heart or the fact that his new friend was staring at him so desperately. "Adam?"

Something sobered in the man's expression.

"I would hurry along if I were you. Your teacher is waiting for you." Without saying anything else, Adam disappeared. Aiden paused, unsure of what had just happened. He didn't like the frightened and sad look on the ghost's face. It reminded him of last night.

Shaking his head, Aiden attempted to push back any unhappy thoughts and focused on the exciting tale the man had told him minutes before. Instantly, he cheered back up again and dashed back into the classroom. If Miss Mayflower was still telling stories, then that would mean Aiden would have gotten two in one day. What more could a five-year-old ask for?

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><p>AN: I probably used to have some relatively cool author notes on here... but I can't remember... so I'll not write anything... Thanks to the reviewer 'Alex' for alerting me to the issue!<p>

~Mea


	23. Family

Chapter 23 - Family

(P.S - For the purpose of this chapter - can we just pretend that Mario Kart is available on Xbox, because I don't know any racing games for the Xbox... Thanks! :) )

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><p>"Go left!" Aiden shouted from his perch on the living room sofa. Melinda obliged, pushing the controller toggle with such force it could have broken off. The little mushroom driver on the screen knocked straight into Danny's character and rammed him into a banana skin.<p>

"Hey!" the boy protested, messing with his controller to try and correct himself. The miniature Luigi was forced to watch, spinning, while the mushroom shot away down the racetrack. All Melinda could do in response was laugh, throwing a green shell at the driver in front of her.

The Mario Kart game had come from Delia, one of the multiple presents Danny had missed out on opening the previous night. It was obvious that she'd given it to him as something he could share with the whole family. Who was he to argue with that?

So that's what they were doing now. Danny had mentioned the game at dinner that evening and one thing lead to another. Right now, due to the fact that there were only two controllers, he was sat on the floor battling with Melinda for the first prize trophy with Aiden and Jim on the sofa behind them. Unfortunately for Danny, they were both Melinda supporters.

Correcting his character, Danny charged on, determined to beat his host. It didn't take him long to catch up and, revengeful, he fired an electric box to block her path. She couldn't avoid it.

Boos came at Danny from all sides, but he playfully ignored them, leaving Melinda behind in his dust. While Melinda was a good player with the help of her family, Danny was a pro. It came from all the video gaming he had done as a youth and the amazing reflexes that came from fighting ghosts. Naturally, he was reigning champion in the household so far.

It may have been this cocky attitude that became the teenager's downfall. He didn't see the red shell coming at him from behind; he was too distracted by the finish line, just pixels ahead of his kart. Therefore, he didn't have time to prepare himself for the blow that came to him, sending him spinning, just as a certain mushroom passed him and crossed the line in first place.

"Aha!" Melinda leapt up from her spot in excitement, beaming down at the defeated Danny on the floor. "I win!"

The teenager also stood up, grunting despite the undeniable smirk on his face. "Beginner's luck." He held out his remote for one of the cheering family members on the sofa to take. "Who's up next?"

Aiden wriggled next to his dad and pushed his arm, trying to get him to stand up. "Daddy!"

Not giving the doctor a chance to back out, Danny tossed the remote at him and slumped down next to Aiden. Jim hesitated momentarily, before grinning up at his wife, a challenging look in his eye. He slid off of the sofa onto the floor (the designated position for players).

"Just so that you know – I _am_ going to win," the father declared picking his character on the screen – they'd all been designated their own by Aiden. Aiden was the dinosaur, Melinda was the mushroom, Danny was Luigi and Jim was the big, yellow, scary, horned, tortoise thing. They hadn't really asked questions.

Melinda took on her husband's challenge and sat down next to him. The game started.

Danny sat back and watched as the family became involved once more in the television. He couldn't help but smile at their antics. They appeared so much closer than his own family at times and he almost wished that the Fentons could have hung out and played games like this, rather than only ever spending time together when they were in the pursuit of a ghost. He wasn't complaining. There wasn't a moment that he didn't miss his mum and dad's wacky inventions or his dad's obsession with fudge, or the way they'd always embarrass him in public. But it was all in the past, and Danny knew he'd have to get over it sooner or later. With this family, he could see a positive future. This was where his condemnation had led him, and he was happy.

"Danny, I did you a picture for yesterday but I didn't get to give it to you until now." Aiden murmured, pulling himself closer to the older boy. Danny blinked and looked at the little boy. Before he could say anything, Aiden had produced a card. Speechless, the teenager took a hold of the image.

"It's us, as a family, so that if you ever have to go away, you'll remember us forever."

The image showed four people, stood in front of a yellow house with the brightest sun in the sky. His breath caught in his throat for a fracture of a second.

"Wow. It's beautiful. But I wouldn't worry; I'll never forget you. Ever."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

Aiden grinned before wrapping his arms around the bigger boy's torso. The teenager simply froze in shock, looking down at the raven head of hair resting on his chest. Shakily, he hugged him back.

"Psst! Danny!"

Danny frowned and twisted his head to locate the unfamiliar voice. The voice had come from behind the sofa but from his position he couldn't see its source.

The boy gently let go of Aiden, causing the younger child to withdraw. If Aiden had heard anything, he wasn't showing it. Then again, Danny doubted that he could have. It was only his enhanced hearing that had separated the sound from the music of the television. Aiden shot Danny a happy smile before becoming engrossed in his parent's game play.

"Danny! Down here!" A lean hand popped out over the top of the sofa back and pointed downwards. The teenagers ghost sense went off, causing him to sigh. He peeked up over the edge of the chair, disguising his antics as a full body stretch.

"Not now," he hissed as loudly as he dared. He wasn't in the mood for ghosts today, especially then.

"It's really important!" A boy, older than the halfa, sat crouched behind the chair's back. His sandy mismatched hair masked a large section of his face, meaning that only the boy's thin, protruding nose and his forest green eyes showed through.

"Go away!" Danny slumped down in his chair again, ignoring the confused glance he earned from Aiden.

There was a moment then when the only thing that could be heard, was the anguished cry of Melinda as her husband crossed the finishing line. It didn't last long as the family started moving positions, Danny really couldn't focus on that however, as something pinched his right arm, hard.

"I can't go until I talk to you!"

"I'm going to get a glass of water," Danny announced, possibly a little louder than had intended. Before anyone could say anything, he leaped off of the sofa and darted into the kitchen.

Blondie was sitting on the kitchen table, waiting for him.

"When I say 'go away', I do actually _mean _it."

The older boy quickly shook his head. "I have a message."

"So do I. I'm not doing ghosts today. I want at least one day to myself and this is the one I have chosen. I'd show you the door but I don't think you need it." Danny folded his arms deliberately across his chest to emphasise his point.

The ghost jumped down from the table, his face holding a certain level of desperation.

"No, but I really…"

"Look, whatever your name is-"

"Artie," Blondie interrupted.

"Artie. As lovely a person you might be, I really don't have time for your problems right now. Come back tomorrow, or something." _Preferably never._

Danny might have felt bad about brushing off the ghost, but his previous history with the dead and the fact that he was actually having a good day for the first time in a long time, meant that wasn't all that bothered about it.

Artie didn't see it like that though.

"You know, for a '_hero_', you sure are grumpy," he muttered, side tracked from his original goal.

"I'm going to try and see that as a compliment." Danny rolled his eyes before starting back into the kitchen. A tightly gripping hand on his arm prevented him from going any further.

"Won't you just listen to me for a second?" Artie pleaded, a slight note of irritation in his voice. Danny sighed before yanking his arm out of the older boy's grip.

"Okay. What is so important that you _have _to tell me this instant?"

Artie relaxed and drew back. "I came to tell you that the Gu-"

"Is everything okay in here?" Melinda asked as she strolled into the kitchen. She froze when she saw Artie.

"Artie was just leaving," Danny explained, shooting the older boy a sharp look.

The ghost looked torn and right then, Danny realised that whatever he had to say was for his ears only. Well, that made it easier. Not waiting for the ghost to make up his mind, the teenager waltzed out of the kitchen.

Melinda and Artie stood looking at each other for a second before Artie disappeared, leaving behind a bewildered and confused medium.

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><p>AN: Short chapter, but it needed to be done. Word of warning - take this as the calm before the storm, because I'm brewing something big! XD<p>

Like I said on my profile, I am on a roll with Diversity writing at the minute, so Spellbound is taking a bit of a backseat for a while... Sorry, but I'm working on it, I promise! What it means for you lot is more/faster updates! Whoop :P

I'm most of the way through writing chapter 24, so that should be with you relatively quickly.

Hope you're all having a good new year!

~Mea


	24. The Cry for Help

Chapter 24 - The Cry for Help

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><p>"<em>I wish I had known it was your birthday, Lady Windermere…"<em> Danny read in an exaggerated deep voice. "_I would have covered the whole street in front of your house with flowers for you to walk on. They are __**made **__for you!_

"_Lord Darlington!" _The pitch of the teenager's voice flew up, imitating that of a flighty English girl. "_You annoyed me last night at the foreign office and I'm afraid you're going to annoy me again." _Danny sighed, flicking forward a few pages, already bored with his game. Shaking his head, he tossed the copy of 'Lady Windermere's Fan' onto the desk in front of him. Why Eli even had a script like that tucked away in his desk drawers was a mystery to the teenager. Shakespeare would have been bad, but for some reason, Oscar Wilde was even worse. Maybe it was some sort of guilty pleasure.

He rested his head in his hand, elbow supported by the desk-chair's arm. The DS on the desk lay untouched. Having spent most of yesterday afternoon gaming, Danny didn't find the device all that appealing.

In fact, Danny was struggling to find anything appealing. Normally, his day would be taken up chasing ghosts. This free time was completely foreign to him and he didn't know what to do with it.

The teen reached across the table and picked up one of Eli's stress-balls. He then began passing it backwards and forwards between his hands.

He couldn't help but think back to last night and the ghost that had visited him. He had said that he had some kind of message for Danny that he really needed to know; yet after their conversation in the kitchen, the boy hadn't reappeared. Part of him just wanted to shrug it off; if he wasn't going to come and ambush him again, then it can't have been that important a message. Then the hero part of him worried that, maybe the message had been vitally important, and Artie had gotten himself in trouble with someone over trying to tell him. It was a long shot, but after meeting Holloway, Danny wouldn't be overly surprised.

Thinking about it, he_ was _kind of snappy towards the ghost. It was just that the day had gone so well for him, after the trauma of the previous day, and Danny didn't want to ruin it all by possibly getting himself into another ghost related problem.

The teen sighed again, tossing the ball in the air before creating a ghostly shield around it and letting it hover. There was at least one bonus to being alone in Eli's office; he could get away with little tricks like this.

"Having fun?"

Danny jumped, extinguishing the shield and letting the ball drop.

"Ever heard of knocking?" He yelped, disgruntled by the sudden appearance.

"These days I find that I don't have to." Adam retorted but something in his voice seemed off. The man stood by the window, his eyes gazing out, distracted. His usual pristine suit had lost its bow-tie and jacket and its shirt hung open around the collar. The hair that had always seemed part of the skull, now wisped around his face, making him look more youthful and vulnerable. Danny stood up, instantly concerned.

"Are you okay?"

Adam looked startled by the question. His head twisted from the window to face the super-powered teenager. He was hesitant as he fiddled with his collar, fixing his eyes on his company as though he were evaluating all his options.

"There's something I am going to share with you. I didn't want it to come to this. I thought I could get away with it... but I can't."

Danny narrowed his eyes, but didn't say anything. The man that usually had no trouble manipulating his way through words seemed to be struggling and the half-ghost didn't want to add any pressure.

The man grimaced, rubbing his palms together, before taking a few steps closer to the teenager.

"I've put her in danger. I thought maybe Melinda would be able to help, with her talents, but when I saw you fight with that warden and practice your skills in the way that you have been doing; you were my new solution." A note of desperation and mania rang in the man's voice, and Danny found himself thinking back to the cocky and self-absorbed business man he seen only days before hand. This was not a transformation he liked.

Still, he let the man continue.

"I miscalculated. I got it wrong. I don't... I mean, it's not often that I do that. I thought I had him this time."

"Adam, you're not making any sense," Danny finally interrupted, knowing that if he wanted to get any kind of information about the situation, he'd have to start steering the ghost in the right direction.

Adam's gaze, that had started to drift again, quickly snapped back to meet Danny's.

A second later a series of moving images flooded the teenager's mind.

"_The ten thousand. Where is it?"_

_Adam grimaced as the blood from his forehead made its way into his eye. A burning sensation around his wrists alongside the recent blow to the head had caused a wall of tears to appear in his line of sight, but he was careful not to let them fall._

"_I told you. I don't have it," he spat in response. The thug, Callum French, glared back at him. His weasel face helped highlight his anger._

"_And I don't have time for your lies." The man's beetle-like eyes skirted the bedroom. "It looks like you're doing well enough for yourself. Ten grand can't be all that much of a stretch. It's only what you stole from me."_

"_You mean what you stole from your clients."_

"_I'd be careful about how you talk to me. I don't plan on being as lenient this time."_

_To illustrate his point, the man gestured towards his employee, positioned beside Adam. At this signal, the employee delivered a blow to the captive's ribs._

_Adam cried out as he felt bone break beneath the lead crowbar. The tears that he had been holding back spilled from his eyes._

"_We can make this as painful or as easy as you like. I want my ten thousand!"_

"_Go to hell," Adam grunted. He didn't have the money, and even if he had, he wouldn't have wasted it on French. French simply shook his head – his furious expression becoming stony._

"_I'll leave that to you."_

_Very deliberately, the man dived into his black suit jacket and pulled out a silver pistol. "The bullet in here has had your name on for the past three years. You avoided it back then, I'm afraid today you won't be as lucky."_

"_And that's supposed to be some sort of incentive for me to cough up the money?" Adam scoffed, fighting back the growing fear within him._

"_Oh, don't kid yourself. You knew this day was coming. All that's going to change is how your beloved fiancée finds your dead body. You remember her don't you? I mean, you should. You share a bed." _

_Izzy... Realisation dawned. If he died, she'd be left all alone. After everything she'd sacrificed for him and this was how she was getting repayed. He __**knew**__ he shouldn't have gotten into a relationship so soon._

"_So...?"_

_The fight instantly flooded from his body and he felt himself slump further down into the wooden chair he was currently attached to._

"_I genuinely don't have it. All of this is hers. I hardly own a thing," he mumbled, truthfully._

_French simply tutted. "So your big survival plan was to find the wealthiest girl you could and ask her to marry you?"_

_Adam shook his head vehemently. "It wasn't like that."_

"_No. I'm sure it wasn't." French sighed before bringing the pistol up to point directly into Adam's skull. "Ah well. Your honesty is appreciated. Unfortunately for you, it changes absolutely nothing." He paused a moment, taking in the glory of his situation. "Try not to burn yourself down there." _

_Seconds later, the gun fired and Adam's soul was flung back out of his body. The spirit stood for a moment, gazing blankly at the lifeless form knotted to a small wooden chair._

"_What should I do with the body?" the broad Yorkshire accent of French's employee rang out, buzzing around the spirit's head like an annoying wasp._

"_Leave it. It should give the police a bit of a challenge."_

"_And the ten thousand?"_

"_We're going to have to get it from the woman."_

_Adam suddenly became alert._

"_The fiancée?"_

"_We'll deliver a message in a few weeks, give her a bit of time to grieve and then go for it." French wiped at his pistol with a small white cloth, as though he were talking about nothing more than the weather. "Call it three."_

Danny blinked, stunned into silence by the scene that had just played out in his head. But Adam wasn't done with him just yet, and another image flared to life.

_Three weeks. Adam had distinctly heard three weeks. Two weeks wasn't three. Aiden's message rang loudly in the man's ears._

"I'm scared. I'm really, really scared."

"Why? What's scaring you?"

"The big men."

_Aiden was an empath. He'd gotten that feeling when he'd gotten too close to Adam so it had to be someone with a connection to him and the only person he could think of who could have been being confronted by 'big men' was Isabelle._

_But this was too soon. He wasn't ready._

_Closing his eyes, the ghost held an image of his ex-fiancée in his head before skipping._

_He found her in the kitchen of their home, back pressed against the sink, facing a brutish looking man in a white suit. The man held a black lead crowbar._

"_Stay back," she cried, holding up a hand as though that would halt the man's advance. The man stopped, but Adam had a feeling it wasn't because of the hand._

"_Isabelle Ashton. The woman who tamed the rogue," a voice rang out, causing the ghost to glare. French, who had previously been hidden by the bulk of his Yorkshire employee, stepped out. Isabelle's eyes narrowed._

"_What do you want?" she asked, without the slightest waver to her own voice._

"_Straight to the point. I like it." Despite his words, the sour look on the killer's face remained ever-present. "Your boyfriend stole a lot of money from me a few years ago, and I want it back."_

"_In case you hadn't been informed: my 'boyfriend' is dead." Isabelle bit back._

"_I know. I killed him."_

_The woman fell silent. As Adam watched, he saw the sorrow that had been in her eyes seconds before turn to shock, resentment and then fury. She was clever enough not to show this to French. _

"_As I was saying. Your boyfriend conned me for ten thousand pounds back in England. Our conversation a few weeks back ended badly and so the debt is now yours. I don't expect you to provide me with anything this second, but if you aren't ready with it this time tomorrow, I'm afraid I might have to do something _you'll_ regret." A cold and unemotional smile briefly passed across the man's face. "You wanted straight to the point."_

_There was a moment of silence as Isabelle and French faced each other. _

"_Where are you wanting to meet?" Isabelle asked eventually, her voice like ice. _

"_Stanley's, Barron Street."_

"_I'll be there."_

"_Alone?"_

"_Alone." _

"_Then it's a date." French flashed a small smile again, before turning on the spot and waltzing out of the room. Seconds later, his thug followed._

_A gust of air left the woman's lungs as she slumped, weighed down with emotion and fatigue._

"_Izzy..."_

Danny gasped as he came back into himself. He gazed over at Adam, who by this point had shot to the other side of the room.

There was a moment of silence as the two took each other in. Danny couldn't help but realise how much he really didn't know about the ghost stood before him. It scared him.

"I need your help," Adam announced, finally. It was both a statement and a question.

Danny paused, glancing from the man to the exit. Did he really want to risk Eli walking in and finding him missing? Did he really want to end up in the same situation that he had found himself the other night, with everyone looking so worried and disappointed? All for the sake of a man and woman that he didn't know? The questions took a second to process before he nodded. "Let's do this."

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><p>AN: And the question that is Adam Whitehall is finally starting to get answered! For anyone that isn't a fan of my little OCs... I apologise because they is going to feature a lot in the next few chapters. I assure you, it is all leading to something!<p>

So I'm not sure when chapter 25 will be up. It should be fairly soon because I did write it into this chapter before deciding it would be much better to split them. So I just need to go through and edit. Anyone pondering about Spellbound - there's nothing new to report, other than I am struggling and there are about three different versions in the works, so you'll just have to watch out for any updates.

Right! I think that's all I needed to say! I hope this chapter wasn't too full on for anyone and I'll see you soon (hopefully)

~Mea


	25. Adam Whitehall

Chapter 25 - Adam Whitehall

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><p>Callum French gazed absently at the penknife between his fingers, barely noticing how his twirling of the weapon engraved the surface of the desk he was sat at. The wood's smooth surface put up no fight, used to the abuse it had undergone for years.<p>

This building was too cheerful. Stanley's the printer shop. A store that had never sold a single printer in the entirety of its existence. Despite the fact that the majority of Grandview knew that the building was nothing more than a rendezvous for those with less than positive intentions, the owner was obsessed with keeping up appearances and made the building look like something from a cheesy '80s sitcom. The exterior was painted pink, the windows frosted so as to hide any activities from within. Little window boxes sat underneath the glass – yellow and orange marigolds collected snugly within them.

Inside was almost as bad. The walls were striped an offending shade of yellow and images of woodland animals lined the walls. Desks were arranged around the parameter making the fact that this wasn't a printer shop all the more obvious. It didn't make any sense to anyone but the owner, although, most of the people Cal had spoken to about it had said that the guy was a little outside of the world of the sane.

Cal grunted as he let the penknife drop onto the table with a clatter. The sooner he got out of here the better. America was possibly one of his least favourite places in the world – the accents, the food, the people... It made him sick.

"Sir?" Derek Campbell, a burly Yorkshireman Cal had recently employed, entered the room, holding a glass of whisky in his meaty hands. "The drink y'asked for."

Cal glanced at the glass before nodding towards his desk. Campbell followed the silent order and placed the drink down before his employer.

"Wait by the door. She should be here any moment," Cal demanded, leaning back in his chair. He wasn't looking forward to this meeting. When they'd met, he'd had the element of surprise which had led to a short, curt conversation before he'd managed to make a swift depart. This time, she'd have questions.

If he ever came to America again, he would make sure to steer clear of this particular building. It was starting to hurt his eyes.

The knock came a good five minutes later – a feeble thing that could barely be heard over the radio in the next room. Cal, with his chair still facing the wall, leant back, twisting his head so as to give his employee a sideways nod. Sitting back upright he then swizzled the chair around to get a better look.

Isabelle entered the room with a look of anticipation, her eyes scanning the room like a startled deer. Cal followed her gaze, narrowing his eyes at the walls around him.

"It's not what I expected either," he announced, a certain level of distaste in his voice. He watched calmly as her gaze met his before flitting away again. "You've brought what I asked for?"

The woman's grip tightened slightly on the large golden handbag draped over her shoulder. She took a steadying breath, her vision fixed on a spot on the floor. "You said he stole it from you? How?"

Cal sighed as the questioning he'd been expecting appeared to begin. He glanced down at the watch on his wrist as though willing the time away. He hated telling stories.

"It's not important."

Isabelle scoffed, her fear ebbing slightly. "It was important enough for you to kill him."

Cal closed his eyes for a second, bringing his elbows onto the armrests of his desk chair so as to steeple his fingers under his nose. "I don't mean to offend you, Ashton, but I don't think I owe you anything. I'm sorry for your pain, but I'm not sorry for Liam's death."

The woman across from him blinked in confusion before shaking her head. "_Liam's_ death? I think you mean _Adam's_."

"Adam's." Cal swung back to face his desk, glancing down at a sheet of paper to make himself look busy. Amateur slip up.

He could almost hear the cogs turning in Isabelle's head as he faced away from her.

"You said 'conned'. Yesterday, you said he conned it out of you..."

Cal stayed silent, scratching his right eyelid in irritation.

"You've never called him Adam – it was always my 'boyfriend'... and then Liam?" She took a few determined steps towards him "What am I missing here?"

Campbell must have taken this as some sort of threat as he started strolling over to the woman. Cal held a hand up to stop him in his tracks. Slowly, but surely, he turned his chair back around to face her.

"You're missing everything, just like I was."

Isabelle's look of determination wavered slightly as she took him in. He knew that she was terrified of him, that much was obvious but there was something else in her gaze – a look of uncertainty and loss. He hesitated, before gesturing her to sit down on one of the desk chairs. Slowly and reluctantly, she pulled out the seat next to him. If anything, telling her the truth might taint the prat's memory and dishonour him more than he already had.

"He was a conman," he stated, keeping his eyes fastened on the engagement ring on Isabelle's finger. "Never caught or convicted because the people he conned were more often than not too embarrassed to go to the police. He didn't exactly go for small targets."

Isabelle kept silent, her mouth twitching in silent protest. Cal's attention turned to her hair, which cascaded from her scalp like a brunette waterfall.

"He was Wes when I knew him. Originally from Sheffield, kicked out by his parents and building a life for himself in London." Cal felt his vision go red as he the events of three years ago played out in his head. "As far as I'm aware, the story he told me was the most accurate of all his cons. Turned out, his real name was Liam Winchester and he was part of a crew of grifters who conned money out of anyone doing well for themselves."

Isabelle let out a breath, as though she'd just been winded. "Adam was born and bred in London, he was a business man."

Cal just shook his head. "Then he conned you just as much as he did me. That phoney voice he's been sporting for the past however many years? He's no more upper-class than Campbell." He shoved his thumb in his employee's direction.

"I don't believe you."

The man scoffed, looking her up and down in mild amusement. He paused for another moment, before placing his hand in his inner jacket pocket and pulling out a small photograph. He held it out to her face down. Swallowing hard, Isabelle gently took the scrap of paper, turning it over. Her eyes widened slightly as she took him in.

The picture showed a young man, twenty-one years of age, sitting on the edge of a black leather sofa, with one arm draped over a golden Labrador Retriever. The smile on his face lit up the entire picture, an air of cheekiness coupled with pure happiness making him look boyish and carefree. His brown hair was curly and tousled and his attire consisted simply of a green hoodie and a pair of scrappy old jeans. The boy looked nothing like the well-to-do young businessman that had made his début in American industry a few years back yet if you looked hard enough, you began to spot the similarities.

"He told me he couldn't wear hoodies because they reminded him of the teenagers that used to terrorise him at school..." Isabelle murmured, her eyes still attached to the photo.

"And yet they were the only things he'd wear when I met him. He couldn't stand suits."

Isabelle stared at the image a while longer before closing her eyes and placing it face down on the desk beside her.

"So... he, uh... He was part of a team?"

Cal pulled the photograph back, glancing up at her momentarily. The worry in her voice was evident and he'd heard it enough times to know exactly what she was thinking.

"You wouldn't know any of them. Last I checked, they were still living it large in London."

Her relief was short-lived as another thought struck her. "Adam... _Liam_, came here with nothing. Like, literally nothing. He was living in some shabby apartment in Brooklyn. After stealing all that money from you, surely he'd be a little more well off than that. He could have conned a better life for himself. And why would he leave London if he was doing so well for himself there?"

Cal rubbed his eyes with his finger and thumb, a small headache forming behind their sockets. "If you're going to be counter-productive and try and come up with some other answer then I'm no longer interested in this conversation. How I understand it, I scared him off – he made a break for it. It wouldn't have been cheap." The man removed his hand from his face and reached across to the untouched glass of whisky. The glass was refreshingly cold in his hands.

Isabelle simply stared at him as her brain continued to whir. Cal could see the questions burning behind her hazel eyes. Had he been lying to her all this time? Was he really with her because he loved her or because he needed the money? Would he have ever told her the truth?

"Well, I can see you're conflicted. Why don't we wrap this whole thing up and then you can go and question the meaning of existence in your own home." The man held a hand out to the door, giving Isabelle the signal to leave. She paused, glancing down at the bag under her arm.

"There's just one thing... If you wanted the money so much, why didn't you get it from him? You could've gotten the money and then... killed him?"

Cal didn't reply, choosing instead to stand and walk over to the door leading into the back room. Not looking back, he waltzed in and turned the radio down. A few seconds later, he reappeared in the doorway, hands shoved into this trouser pockets. "We're done here."

Isabelle stared at him a moment, as though working out how far to push it. Cal's face remained stoic.

"All right." The woman finally mumbled. Cal watched as she stood and sat the handbag on her seat before making her way to the exit.

As soon as she left, the man sighed and let his head fall sideways to rest on the door jamb. The memory of Liam was a memory that drained him. He didn't for a moment regret putting that bullet in his brain, but there had been a few moments since then that he doubted his decision. He couldn't stand what being here was doing to him, and although he hadn't looked forward to spending time with someone that had spent so much time with him, he knew he couldn't stay in the country much longer. His place was back home.

It was the sound of the door clinking shut that woke Cal from the stupor he realised he had been in for the entire encounter. He closed his eyes biting the inside of his cheek in self-loathing.

"Campbell? Tell me what's in that bag."

Campbell hesitated, not entirely sure what his boss was asking. "The one she left behind?"

"Check it, and tell me what's inside." He ordered, slightly louder than before. Campbell scurried over to the handbag and picked it up. Balancing it in one hand, he unzipped it, and drove his other hand into it's depths.

There was a moment of silence.

"It's just bits o' paper, sir. Loads o' lit'le strips o' paper."

"_Idiot!_" Cal cursed as he slammed his clenched fist into the wall. His had swiftly dove into his pocket and pulled out a silver pistol. He shot Campbell a glare before charging out of the shop into the street. It didn't take him long to spot the retreating form of Miss Ashton running for the main road. Campbell dashed past him his huge lumbering body racing forward like a tidal wave.

Gripping his pistol tighter in his hand, he levelled and aimed it straight at her. If there was one thing he would not be, it was humiliated. The man let off a warning shot, the bullet embedding itself into a building near to the runaway. She screamed and put her hands up behind her head, bending slightly as though this would make her less of a target. Running like this slowed her down considerably, allowing Campbell to gain on her.

Cal continued to hold his pistol out as he joined the chase.

In her haste, Isabelle didn't notice the shoelaces of her converse flapping around her ankles, having come undone earlier in her escape. It was only as she began to reach the end of the street that the lace of her left shoe became lodged under her right foot.

The fall was anything but graceful as she landed with her arms out in front of her, her body diving for the pavement. Within seconds, Cambell reached her and scooped her up like a toy doll. By the time Cal reached them, his worker had the young woman's arm's pinned behind her back at what looked like a painful angle.

"That really wasn't a clever trick you just tried to pull," Cal growled, raising his gun so that it pointed at her skull.

"My brother works for the government – I tried to call him last night but he wouldn't pick up. If you let me talk to him, I can get you the money," Isabelle pleaded suddenly, tears forming in her eyes from the sharp pains that were running down her arms. Cal's eyes simply narrowed.

"Maybe you should have come in today and told me that, rather than pulling this stupid stunt."

"I just thought it might buy me time."

Cal glowered at her, taking in her weak and pathetic body. It was only then that he spotted something he hadn't noticed before. His eyes shot back up to hers and a cruel smile slithered onto his face. Her own eyes widened drastically as the gun moved from her head to her abdomen. She struggled even harder with Campbell, throwing all her strength into trying to escape. It was when she closed her eyes that she heard the gunshot.

* * *

><p>"Can't you fly a little faster?" Adam shouted, his hand wrapped tightly around Danny's elbow.<p>

"I'm trying!" The teen grunted back, "You're just so heavy!" It was true. While weight didn't work exactly the same when in flight, Danny still had to have the strength to pass on his ability to whoever he was flying with. On a good day, Danny may have been able to lift an entire bus – but only slowly and only if he was on top form. However, the beating from the tunnels, coupled with the fact that he wasn't completely healed from his battle a few weeks back meant that lifting Adam was a chore he didn't completely have the energy for.

"I'm sorry – if I'd've known you were going to be so childish about it, I might have lost some weight before I was murdered. Left!"

Danny glared ahead as he made a sharp turn to the left. He knew he should be slightly more lenient with the ghost, with the emotional trauma he was going through right now, but even after finding out that the Adam he thought he knew didn't actually exist, the guy was still unbelievably annoying.

"How much further is it?"

As though to answer his question, the sound of a gun shot drew both of the ghosts' attention. Adam glanced up at Danny, but the teenager was so focused on speeding towards the sound that he couldn't look back. The older man clenched his jaw slightly as the thought of his girlfriend facing Callum French invaded his mind.

Locating the nearby sounds of a struggle, Danny altered his course slightly before starting a speedy downwards descent. He spotted Isabelle almost instantly, pleading with a shorter guy as she was held in place by a body-builder. He instantly let go of Adam's arm, allowing the man to disappear and land directly beside his partner. The teenager angled himself so that he could drop even faster – he was still around forty metres above the ground. Allowing a portion of energy into his hand, the teenager felt his palm come alive in green flames. He narrowed his eyes as the smaller man lifted a gun to aim it at her forehead. It was only as the gun was lowered to her stomach that Danny was close enough to do anything about it. He let go of the ectoplasm in his hands, shooting it forward so that it blasted the gun straight out of the guy's hand, just as he'd begun to pull the trigger.

The man – Callum – cursed and cradled his burned hand in the crook of his other arm. The guy's weasel like eyes shot up to spot Danny flying towards him and his glare melted into a look of astonishment. The teenager smirked at the man's response – it's not everyday a top end criminal finds himself being attacked by a teenage vigilante with ghost powers.

Danny warmed his hand up again, forming another blast only without the heat, and sending it flying into Callum's side. The man was knocked back about three metres, landing harshly on his backside. Snapping out of his shock, he rolled over and retrieved the gun he'd lost, firing at his supernatural attacker. The teenager simply formed a green ghost shield to easily deflect the bullets. Callum paused for a second, glancing between his gun and the shield. Narrowing his eyes, he lowered the weapon and stood up.

"So what are you supposed to be then?" he asked, darkly, "Some sort of comic-book superhero wannabe?"

Danny dropped to the floor a little way away from the murderer. "Something like that."

A slightly sadistic expression spread over the man's face as he glanced over at Isabelle. "Let me guess – you've come to save the damsel in distress."

"You killed her boyfriend," Danny retorted. For some reason this fight was so much more than anything he'd been through before. This time, he wasn't fighting ghosts or hunters – he was fighting a completely human murderer. It was for this reason that his usual spark had become somewhat tainted.

"I did her a favour! The guy never loved her, he was just out for her cash!"

The teen shook his head. "I happen to know for a fact that that's not true."

"Then you didn't really know him, did you?" Callum spat, his fingers massaging the cold weapon in his hand.

"You're right. I didn't. I don't. But I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him."

Callum laughed before suddenly sending a bullet flying towards the young boy. This time, the teenager was caught unawares as the small scrap of metal dove into his chest. He gasped as the pain swept over him, causing him to stagger back slightly.

"Danny?" Adam called out from somewhere behind him, but the teenager couldn't focus on that. Instead, he stared down at the small puncture in his chest. Gritting his teeth, he dove an intangible hand into his chest, finding the bullet in seconds. He grasped the foreign object and yanked it out, shuddering with the agony it was causing him. As he pulled it out, Callum stood staring, open mouthed. His grip tightened on his weapon and he began firing like a madman. This time, though, Danny was prepared. He turned himself completely intangible and started waltzing towards the shooter.

Obviously this only worked in making Callum all the more desperate. The man backed up until he found himself pressed up against a brick wall. The teenager formed another beam firing it at the killer in a way that would have given the same impact as a punch to the gut. The man doubled over in pain, dropping his gun and allowing Danny to become tangible again. To the teenagers annoyance, Callum started laughing bitterly.

"All this for a dead man. The guy was good – I'll give him that."

"You talk about him like he was some sort of monster – yet you're the one who was prepared to shoot an innocent woman just for revenge." Through his anger, Danny didn't notice how close to the man he was, or how his eyes flickered an unnatural shade of red.

"She tried to con me," the man growled, keeping his head low. Danny shrugged.

"Well maybe you deserved it."

Callum scoffed and shook his head, as though Danny just wasn't getting the point. The teenager's hand blared to life with green energy, more powerful than he had ever made it before.

He lifted his palm to face Callum's chest.

"Danny!" Adam screamed from across the street. His voice tore the teenager out of his trance of rage. The boy looked down to his flaming hand, wide eyed, before extinguishing the fire and pulling it back as though he'd just been badly burned. He glanced behind him to see the man burly man from earlier knocked out cold. The girl he'd been holding up was also draped across the floor, only she was still conscious and grasping at her stomach.

Panting, he turned his head back to stare at the winded killer. "Get out of here. Don't ever bother her again, or it won't just be bruises you'll be leaving with."

The man paused, lifting his head to give Danny a proper examination before glancing across at Isabelle and his employee. Realising his defeat, the man stood straight. He stared into Danny's eyes a few more seconds before spitting in his face, and limping off.

Everything within the teenager screamed at him to get back at the man, as his foul dribble made its way down the side of his face. However he'd scared himself more than he'd ever care to admit. He glanced down at his gloved hands, suddenly fearing the power that they had before clenching them and wiping the spittle from his cheek.

Remembering that he had other things to focus on, he spun around and jogged over to where Isabelle and Adam were sat. When he got closer, he could see the problem. The bullet he had thought he'd stopped when he'd first arrived, had reached its target. Blood poured from the wound in her abdomen, making Danny gag.

"Danny, we've got to do something," Adam whispered, stroking the hair on her forehead with his fingers.

"What do you want me to do?" the teenager gasped back, panicking. Isabelle's eyes flitted up to his, tears streaming down her cheeks. Danny couldn't tell whether she was pleading with him, or terrified of him. "It's all right. You're going to be all right." The teen cringed when his voice appeared to hold an edge of hysteria. He was used to dealing with his own injuries, but this was something else. Adam paused, his eyes intently on his partner's face.

"I need you to get the bullet out. There's no exit wound which means it's still in there."

Danny nodded his head, happy to let the ghost take charge. Shaking, he knelt down, directly in front of the injured woman.

"I'm just going to get the bullet out, okay? You have to trust me."

The woman hesitated, biting her lip to help with the pain, before nodding. Danny guessed she was probably willing to risk anything to stay alive. Clenching his jaw, the boy prised her hands away from the wound before slowly plunging his hands into her tummy. He closed his eyes as he felt around inside of her (one of the weirdest things he had done in the entirety of his ghost hunting). Eventually he found it, directly in front of the spine. Giving her an encouraging nod, he grabbed the bullet and gently pulled it out. The bleeding increased, draining the majority of colour from the girl's face.

"What now?" Danny asked, dropping the bloody bullet as though it were on fire.

"This is going to sound crazy, but _I_ need _you _to trust_ me_," The severity of the man's voice made Danny nod almost instantly.

"I trust you," he confirmed.

"Right." The man leaned forward, intangibly grasping the woman's hand. "I need you to shoot a small ecto-beam into the wound."

"_What_? _Are you insane_?" Danny scrambled back slightly, horrified at the concept. Adam simply stared back at him grim faced.

"You need to do it _now_. She's losing too much blood." When the boy didn't show much sign of complying, Adam grasped his shoulder with his free hand. "You remember what happened with Eli's burn? You remember how it mysteriously healed itself?"

Danny nodded, dumbly. The two stared at each other a moment longer before Danny caved, took a deep breath and leaned forward once more. With an extremely shaky hand, he brought up the slightest bit of energy. He stared at the gushing injury and fired the thinnest blast straight into it.

The bleeding stopped almost instantly.

"How did you...?"

"I overheard Melinda talking to a kid about a website that said something about ectoplasm having healing properties," Adam murmured, as though that answered everything. Danny sat back and watched as the man stared lovingly into his partner's eyes. "The injury should take about ten minutes to fully heal, she should recover some blood by then," the older ghost added.

Danny still couldn't help but find it amazing how this guy seemed to know more about his abilities than he did. A grunt from behind Isabelle caught his attention.

"How exactly did Buster here get himself knocked out?" he asked, suddenly struck by the thought. Adam was in a permanent state of intangibility and Isabelle hadn't exactly been in prime condition. Adam smirked and nodded his head towards a large discarded pebble at Isabelle's feet.

"I've gotten better at manipulating objects."

The man groaned again. Danny watched the couple as they remained ignorant to him. He shook his head and stood up, stepping over the healing woman and bending down to pick the big guy up. It took nearly all his energy to lift himself in the air with his heavy load.

"I'm just going to drop this off somewhere. I'll be right back," he gasped, readjusting his hold on the semi-conscious henchman. Neither of them responded as the teenager rose higher into the air, painfully slowly.

It took him a while to find the tallest building in the area and to literally drop the brute onto it. The relief that flooded through him at the loss of the colossal weight was almost tangible as he seemed to float higher and higher. The boy hung back and watched as the guy fully regained consciousness and woke to find himself stranded on a rooftop. Danny grinned to himself before shooting back to where he had left the lovers.

Only neither of them were where he'd left them. Danny allowed himself to drop onto the street, bewildered. Where exactly could a woman with a bullet wound have wandered of to in such a short period of time?

"I'd watch out if I were you," Adam's voice warned from behind him. The teen spun around to see Isabelle standing directly in front of him. She didn't look all that injured any more, the hole and bloodstains in her shirt being the only sign of any wound. The most distinctive difference was that she was holding a familiar small silver pistol in her hand and it was pointing directly between Danny's eyes.

"What the hell are you?"

* * *

><p>AN: Hey! How long has it been since I last updated? 5 months maybe? Geez... Well I guess here's a longish chapter to make up for it - we haven't had a chapter this long since chapter 19! What was that? A year ago? :') I swear I am trying to get better at publishing but life is so unbelievably hectic right now and my perfectionist nature means that actually writing the story is so much harder than you would have thought - this is the 4th or 5th version of a chapter that I have tried to write. I hope it's all good for you!<p>

So we've grown up a little bit for this chapter, I think. I've never written anything so serious and relatively adult before - it's scary! Let me know what you think of this darker side?

Oh! For anyone who couldn't read chapter 22 because it, for some reason, didn't exist... I think I've solved the problem so you can head back and read that now, if yeh fancy! (Thanks to the reviewer that alerted me to the issue!)

I think I've rambled enough - see you as soon as I've finished the currently non-existent chapter 26!

~Mea


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